Whether you use gas or electricity to run a water heater, several factors make them different. Each water heater carries a different cost and running mechanism. Water heaters are primarily split into two types, tanks and tankless.
Types of Water Heaters
The five main water heater types include tankless water heaters, heat pumps, storage tanks, condensing water heaters, and a solar water heater.
Storage Tanks
These are some of the most common water heater types inside homes. As the name suggests, they have an insulated tank inside to store hot water.
When you require hot water, it comes out of the them from the pipe located on top of the tank. This allows the hot water to pump out of the water heater and through your house. You can also find a temperature and pressure relief valve on top of the water heater.
This valve opens whenever the temperature or pressure exceeds certain levels. Natural gas ones use energy and cost less to run than electric water heaters.
Tankless Water Heater
These ones do not store water inside of them. Instead, they use heating coils to heat the water as it runs across the water heater. They are more energy-efficient than storage tanks; however, they only provide a limited flow of hot water.
As soon as you turn on the hot water tap in your home, the sensors inside tankless heaters detect this flow. In response to the water flow, these sensors turn on the gas that heats the water as you use it. These tanks are ideal for people who can manage hot water usage and do not require large gallons of hot water.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps capture the heat from their surroundings and transfer it to the running water inside a facility. They cost more than the standard water heaters; however, they have a better payback time. Furthermore, they use about 60 percent less energy.
The setback of water pumps is that they need about 7 feet of clearance from floor to ceiling. This means that you need a large area for their placement. This allows them to capture enough heat from the surrounding to heat the water.
If you live in a colder region, heat pumps are not the best option for them. Experts advise heat pumps for large-scale locations that have an average temperature of 40 to 90 degrees.
Solar Water Heater
A solar heater works with the help of a solar panel. Once you mount it on top of your roof under the direct rays of the sun, it absorbs the heat from the sun and charges. Once fully charged, it can heat the running water of a house easily. Now that you know about how most of them work, you can make better decisions regarding your purchase. Each of the heaters carries different costs and advantages. What works best for you depends on your location, budget, and hot water requirements.
