If there is any appliance in the average home that gets taken the most for granted, we’re going to hazard a guess and say it’s the water heater. We rely on these systems the most out of all the other systems in our home, but don’t typically think about them, until something goes wrong.
And when something goes wrong that leads to water heater replacement, you’ll probably be tempted to rush into a purchase to get your comfort back as quickly as possible. We really want to encourage you to do your research though, and get our help determining what type of water heater is best for you. Sure, you can go with another tank water heater if that’s what you’ve always had. But what if a tankless system could serve you better? Read on to learn more!
Tank Water Heater Facts
Traditional storage tank water heaters are the most common kinds of water heaters you’ll find in homes across America. One reason for this is because they do the job required of them at a low price. Tank water heaters come in different sizes, and the perfect size for you will depend on your home’s specific demand.
Why do different sizes matter? Well, with a tank water heater, once the hot water supply runs out, there’s a big delay in time as it heats up a new batch. By having a larger reserve of water to pull from, you can use hot water for longer, or for more appliances, without it needing to refill frequently. So if you have a big family or a large demand for your hot water, going with the bigger unit could serve you best.
But, one drawback of this is that any hot water that goes unused suffers from standby heat loss. So if you have too big of a system—or if your household needs change (say, for example, you have a few adult children who’ve moved out)—then you’ll be paying for more hot water than you actually need.
Buying too large of a tank can be just as inefficient as having too small of a tank. Our team can help you get it just right but you might also want to explore going tankless, which we’ll dive into below.
Going Tankless
Tankless water heaters are an alternative to storage tank water heaters that more and more homeowners are choosing. As the name implies, they don’t use a storage tank. Rather, these systems create hot water through electrical resistance. The hot water only comes when you need it. These systems are also known as on-demand water heaters for this reason.
With a tankless system, you don’t have to worry about standby heat loss, which makes it very efficient. However, it is possible for a tankless system to get overwhelmed by too many appliances demanding hot water from it at once. Therefore, you may be better off going with a tank system in this case, or an additional tankless system to handle a select few appliances.
To learn more about water heaters in St. Charles, MO, contact Performance Plumbing today.