Choosing A Water Heater
Size
When you try to figure out the size of your
water heater, consider the number of baths to determine your requirements.
If your home is a 1 bath home, a thirty or forty gallon tank should do.
For a 2 to 2.5 bath home, you should probably step up to a fifty gallon
water heater. For anything larger, consider a much bigger sixty or eighty
gallon tank. Tank size is very important. Too small of a tank and you will
suffer. Too big of a tank and you will waste energy. More than likely you
can just replace your old tank with a new one of the same size. If you've
added a bath, its time to upgrade.
Type
The heating type plays a big role in
selection. If you have an electric water heater, you will need a bigger
tank than if you used a gas water heater. Gas heaters are just much more
efficient. You probably will not have a choice here unless you are dealing
with new construction. If you are, gas wins hands down.
Efficiency
When choosing a water heater, be sure to look
at how efficient it is. The tank will have a label on the side of the tank
telling you how much it will cost to operate it in a year. An efficient
model might just pay for itself in energy savings.
Tankless
Tankless water heaters are becoming more and
more popular. They cost a little more to begin with but give you several
advantages. One advantage is that you have a constant never ending supply
of hot water. This is because the heater heats the water when needed
instead of keeping a tank hot. It is also more efficient since it doesn't
have to keep water hot.
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