Water heaters are one of those things that no one thinks about, but everyone relies on. If you’re looking for a new water heater, you’re probably finding out just how many decisions there are to make before settling on the right system. Since taking cold showers for the foreseeable future likely doesn’t appeal to you, you might be tempted to rush through the process just to get something in place to provide hot water. If you hurry through the process, though, you may end up with a water heater that doesn’t fit your individual needs well. Fortunately, we’re here to help you through the process. One of the first decisions you’re going to have to grapple with is which water heater type to select. There are two primary types to consider: tank and tankless.
Tank water heaters are the most common in the country. They are also the older of the two methods we’re going to discuss today. A tank water heater uses a large storage tank, varying in size between less than ten gallons to over a hundred, to store and heat water. The system is operating at all times, all year-round, in order to make sure that the water in the tank remains at the set temperature. The systems are often powered by natural gas, though there are a variety of electrical models available, as well.
Tank water heaters remain quite popular, despite the advent of new technologies, for a number of reasons. They’re convenient, since they can supply hot water within a moment’s notice. They’re difficult to overwhelm with demand, unless there are a lot of people using hot water at once or you’re prone to activities like 2-hour long showers. However, they do spend a lot of energy on an annual basis to maintain that much hot water at all times. They can also take up a lot of space in the home, depending on how large of a storage tank you select.
Tankless water heaters were designed in an attempt to address the drawbacks of using a tank water heater. For the most part, they succeed. A tankless water heater doesn’t use a storage tank, but instead utilizes a heat exchanger similar to a boiler. Unlike a tank water heater, the tankless water heater doesn’t stay on at all times. When there is demand for hot water, the system activates and begins running water through the heat exchanger. The water is heated in the heat exchanger as it flows into the plumbing system. When the faucet is turned off, the tankless water heater turns off, as well.
Tankless water heaters save a lot of space and energy, compared to tank water heaters. Those are the reasons that people tend to install tankless water heaters in the first place. However, they are also more easily overwhelmed since they don’t have a ready supply to draw on.
Bell Plumbing and Heating installs and services water heaters in Aurora, CO. Contact us today with questions, or to schedule an appointment.
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