If you are looking to purchase a new water heater for your home, rather than just opting for a traditional storage tank heater, you may want to choose one of the many alternatives.
For instance, if you are trying to save space or money, it could be worthwhile looking at alternatives, like gas and electric tankless water heaters.
Different Types of Water Heaters For Your Home
You may have already read about the various pros and cons of tankless water heaters, but here in the following post, we will go into detail about the different types of water heaters available.
They are the prettiest of home appliances, so if you are looking for ways to hide your water heater, it may be worth taking that into account before making your purchase.
Traditional Water Storage Tank Heater
By far the most common and popular water heater is the type that features a storage tank. The tank holds the water that needs to be heated, which means the capacity of the storage tank dictates how much warm water you will have access to at any one time. As it’s insulated, the water will stay warm until it is used.
There are two valves in the tank, one that controls the pressure and one that controls the temperature. Although it’s the most common type of heater, it limits how much warm water you have access to, and if you have a small tank, but a large family or household, you may often find that you need to wait for the tank to be heated again.
On-Demand or Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters are a very modern appliance and one that offers an almost limitless supply of warm water. As there is no tank, this style of heater features coils that are super-heated and fill with water and heat it in no time at all, as and when you require it. Hence the alternative name of on-demand heaters.
This makes them ideal for large families and households because you have access to hot water almost instantaneously. One of the major advantages of this kind of heater is that because there is no tank, it can be installed into smaller spaces that a traditional model just couldn’t.
However, you need to be aware that there are different sizes of tankless heaters and while a smaller one may suit a smaller property, you may need to look to buy a larger model if your home is big or you have a lot of people who need hot water.
Hybrid or Heat Pump Water Heaters
Hybrid water heaters can help you save money on your energy bills as they don’t generate heat directly like other models. Heat pump heaters take their heat from the ground and air and warm the water with it.
As such, electricity is only used in the transportation of heat from the air or ground to water. It has been found that hybrid water heaters require less than 60% of the electricity traditional heaters use.
The biggest downside is that due to their design with the pump placed at the top of the heater, you would have to have a reasonable amount of vertical clearance. In some cases, around 8-feet.
Solar-Powered Water Heaters
Solar-powered water heaters, as you’ve probably guessed from the name, derive the heat they need to warm the water from the sun. It is thought that compared to all the other options, the solar-powered heater just might be the most efficient in terms of energy usage.
For this type of system, you need solar paneling installed on the roof, from which the energy collected is directed to a closed-loop system featuring material that’s heat conductive to warm the water in the tank. Although this can potentially save lots on your utility bills, it is best suited to homes in sunny, warmer climates.
You also need to have a backup plan in place, like an electrical or natural gas heater, so that you still have access to comfortably warm water on an overcast and rainy days.
Condensing Water Heaters
Condensing water heaters are curious devices as they utilized unused gas fumes in your home to warm water. They featured a heated funnel that connects to your home’s gas system and utilizes it to warm the water inside a storage tank.
As the gas fumes are funneled, they are directed through a coil that’s installed at the bottom of the tank. This coil heats the water. Due to their design and how they work, they do not use very much energy to heat the water.
In fact, a large percentage of the energy they use is when the gas is burned in the original system the water heater sources it from. So, if you have gas central heating, that is where the most energy would be generated.
Obviously, as we’ve already stated, this system involves a storage tank, so if space is at a premium in your home, it may not be right for you. Conversely, you would need to find one with a tank that was big enough for the number of people who live in your property.
