A Guide to Picking the Perfect Water Heater

Posted on | by Allore's Plumbing Services LLC

A Guide to Choosing the Right Type of Water Heater for Your Home

There are several key things that you should take into consideration when you are selecting a new water heater for your home.

Doing a little research before you purchase your new water heater can save you a significant amount of money over the years. It can also help ensure that you have a stable supply of hot water for your entire household for many years to come.

Stuart, FL Water Heater InstallationPay Attention to the Energy Sources You Have Access To

Your choice of water heaters will be limited by the fuel sources you have available to heat water. Electricity and natural gas are the most widely available fuel sources in homes.

These energy sources can power almost any type of water heater including storage, tankless, heat pump, tankless coil and indirect water heaters. If however you use fuel oil to heat your home you will only be able to use storage, indirect and tankless coil water heaters in your home. Propane can be used to power tankless, storage, indirect and tankless coil water heaters but not heat pumps.

When selecting a water heater make sure that it is compatible with the energy sources you have available. It also makes sense to select a water heater that uses an abundant and inexpensive fuel source that you have access to.

For example, if you use propane to heat your home, but also have access to electricity it would make sense to use a water heater that can use electricity. This is because electricity tends to be much less expensive to use for heating a heater than propane. The savings for using electricity compared to propane in water heaters can amount to hundreds of dollars each year.

Your Climate Plays a Major Role in Water Heater Selection

Heat pumps and solar water heaters are new and highly efficient models now available to water heaters. To properly use heat pumps and solar heaters you must take your climate into consideration.

Solar water heaters work best in warm climates and in spots that receive plenty of sunlight. Heat pumps are not recommended for cold climates because they will function very poorly there. They function best in temperate climates that do not have great temperature variations between the seasons.

Take Your Water Needs Into Consideration

Perhaps one of the biggest determinants in selecting a water heater is how much water you use. When selecting a water heater make sure that it will be able to fulfill the water needs of your entire family during peak water use.

You do not want to run out of hot water when showering or when the dishwasher is going through a cleaning cycle. Make sure you get a large enough storage unit to provide you with enough hot water for the entire household. For tankless water heaters you may want to install several units in your household so that enough hot water is produced during simultaneous use of hot water.

For solar units, it is a good idea to have a back up storage heater in case it is overcast for a considerable amount of time.

Not sure what water heater works for your Stuart, FL home? Call Allore’s Plumbing at (772) 288-0998, and get the best advice.