A Guide to Choosing the Right Type of Water Heater for Your Home
A reliable water heater system ensures that there is enough hot water for your household whenever they need it. Choosing a water heater system that meets your needs, space and budget can be a challenging task. This guide can help you choose the right type of water heater for your home.
Solar Water Heaters
You can also go for solar water heating systems if you want to reduce your electricity bill. Roof installed flat-plate collector uses solar energy to heat antifreezers that in turn passed through a water heater to heat water for your household. One shortcoming of the entire solar water heating system is that they are expensive to install.
Tankless Solutions
Tankless water heaters make hot water available when it is needed. Rather than keeping a tank of water hot all day, you can choose a powerful water heater system that supplies hot water on demand. They combine the reliability of conventional systems with the convenience of tankless technology into a single unit.
Choosing the Right Capacity
You should consider the number of gallons a water heater holds before you dish out your money. If you are purchasing a storage-tank water heater, consider their first-hour rating (FHR). For a tankless water heater, you will need to consider their gallons-per-minute rating (GPM).
Conventional Water Tanks
A typical household uses around 15, 000 gallons of water per month. So when shopping for a good water heater product, choose a product with a reliable delivery speed to meet your hot water monthly demand. Check the product’s First Hour Rating (FHR). A higher FHR means that more water can be heated per hour.
Energy Efficiency
Check the Energy Factor (EF) rating of a water heating unit before you make a purchase. Units that are more energy efficient have higher EFR. Most water heaters on the market have increased energy efficiency that meets the federal standards. The EF rating also measures how efficient a water heating unit convert energy into heat and how much heat is lost.
Repair or Replace
Before you choose a water heating product, check to see whether it can be repaired or replaced in case of damage. A water heating product can get corroded and start to leak. Choose one that can be fixed, in case they become ineffective. Also consider other factors like the repair costs, warranties or type of materials used to make your preferred water tank.
Not sure what water heater works for your San Mateo, CA home? Call James Caccia Plumbing at (650) 442-1470, and get the best advice from the professionals.