Water heaters supply your home with hot water. A typical piece of equipment now in homes all across the world, water heaters are an important part of everyday life. Whether it is taking a hot shower, running the dish washer, or doing the laundry, it is a water heater’s responsibility to provide you with hot water when you need it.
There are several types of water heaters, the most widely used being storage-tank water heaters and the second most popular being tankless water heaters. Storage-tank water heaters look like large cylindrical tanks while tankless water heaters are much smaller and are wall mounted. The main difference between the two are they way they provide your home with hot water. Storage-tank water heaters store water while tankless water heaters don’t. There are many advantage to using each one.
Storage-Tank Water Heaters
The advantages to storage-tank water heaters are in its use. The majority of all water heaters are of this type because it has been a proven reliable method of providing hot water. There’s a reason for this. First of all, storage-tank water heaters are cheaper to install compared with your typical tankless water heater but they also have a higher flow rate, and are easy to maintain as well. They work by storing water in the tank which is then kept at a constant temperature through either an electric heating element or a gas burner. Because the water in the tank is always heated, storage-tank water heaters provide hot water with a higher flow rate. What this means is that when you ask for hot water, whether it is by turning on the faucet or taking a bath, hot water comes out quickly with little lag time and at a normal pressure. Storage-tank water heaters are reliable, consistent, and require very little maintenance.
Advantages of Tank Water Heater
- Lower initial cost
- Higher flow rate
- Easy maintenance
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters are becoming more prevalent in more homes because they offer plenty of advantages to storage-tank water heaters. Tankless water heaters differ from storage tank units by only heating water when needed. When hot water is demanded, the tankless water heater senses the flow of water and begins to heat it. Therefore, unlike a storage-tank water heater, it does not need to be constantly working, it only heats what you need. This is much more efficient and provides long term energy savings and lower utility bills. However, it comes at the cost of a more expensive purchase price and installation when compared to storage-tank units. Because tankless water heaters heat water on demand, they don’t have the need to store water and therefore are not only much more compact than their counterpart, they are able to supply an unlimited amount of hot water on demand without the worry of running out.
Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters
- Efficiency
- Unlimited hot water on demand
- Compact sizing
Choosing the right water heater
Storage-tank vs Tankless
Each type of water heater has its benefits. Knowing what you want and what your priorities are when it comes to your water heating needs and budget will help you choose the right type of water heater for your home. Use the reference above to gain a better understanding of what suits your household.
Electric vs Gas
The differences here come down to cost. For the most cost effective replacement of your water heater, it is usually best to replace your unit with the same type. As far as usage is concerned, a gas system will almost always be cheaper to use than an electric one as natural gas is cheaper than electricity. There are other forms of energy that can run a water heater including propane and solar. However, these choices are uncommon and typically reserved for more remote areas.
Sizes and Flowrates
Knowing the optimal size or flow rate for you water heater will greatly increase it’s efficiency and prevent any breaks in water temperature and pressure during use.
A storage-tank water heater that has an insufficient capacity will run out of hot water if overused. If it’s capacity is too large, the water heater will heat water that goes unused. For a household of four with normal usage, it is suggested that a 50 gallon tank be sufficient. Additional members and/or usage will require a larger tank.
As for tankless water heaters, choosing the correct flow rate will help optimize it’s use. A simple rule of thumb for choosing the correct flow rate is to add up the flow rate of the fixtures in your household that may be used all at once and purchasing a tankless water heater that can provide for that flow rate. For example, a shower head may have a flow rate of 2.5 gallons a minute. If you plan to have two shower heads running at once, you must have a tankless water heater with a flow rate of at least 5 gallons a minute. Flow rates can be found on the fixtures themselves.