Tankless Hot Water Heaters Save You
Money
Though central and supplemental air conditioning and
heating units are usually the main energy users in homes, hot water
heaters often come in at a close second. Water heaters are used
often throughout the day, from kitchens to bathrooms to garages.
Whether you are looking for a new water heater to replace your
existing unit or if you're just looking for a more efficient way to
save energy, choosing the right hot water heater will really pay
off, especially in the long run.
There are many different types of hot water heaters: conventional
storage heaters, tankless water heaters, heat pumps, and solar water
heaters. The first uses a storage tank that fills up with hot water
as you use it, which causes a significant amount of energy loss. A
tankless water heater doesn't need a tank and provides an endless
stream of hot water without wasting any energy. Heat pumps move heat
from one area to another instead of generating heat, and though they
don't waste as much energy as storage heaters, they come with a
higher initial price. Solar water heaters, like their name suggests,
uses solar power to provide hot water.
Which Water Heater Is Best?A solar-powered water heater may be the most energy efficient and
most rewarding in terms of long-run usage, but there are also many
factors that affect your ability to use one: your location, the
weather, and even the direction your roof faces. As a result, most
people prefer to use a tankless hot water heater to save money in
the short and long run.
As mentioned above,
tankless water heaters, also known as "demand"
water heaters, don't store the hot water in a reservoir. This gives
you a constant and immediate supply of hot water whenever you need
it. You don't have to wait for the cold water to slowly warm up, and
as a result, your home can become 24 to 34% more energy efficient!
Most of these hot water heaters, like those from Stiebel Eltron and
Rheem, come with a number of safety features to make sure you and
your family don't have to sacrifice safety to save money. Units like
the DCH 10-2 electric water heater feature a scald guard thermostat
that keeps the water temperature within safe limits at all times - a
feature that comes in handy around children. Additionally, these
tankless hot water heaters are made from sturdy, resistant material
that is guaranteed to last 20 years or even longer - that's a full 5
to10 years longer than regular storage water heaters!How to Choose a Hot Water Heater
A
tankless water heater can be powered by either
natural gas or electricity. Both are equally effective, but
depending on the rates in your city, one source might be cheaper
than the other in your hometown. More likely than not, gas costs
less to use, but the initial heater price for tankless gas water
heaters are usually a little more pricey than electric ones.
However, in the long run, the costs equal out to be approximately
the same in terms of usage as well as savings.
It may be possible that your home will need more than one water
heater - it actually depends on how many rooms and bathrooms you
have. If you have 2 to 3 bathrooms, a gas water heater like the
Rheem RTG-66DVN provides the perfect flow rate for you to use water
in all the bathrooms simultaneously. However, if you have 4 or 5
bathrooms, you can consider the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 36 electric
water heater, which provides an even higher flow rate.
After installing a tankless water heater, you can save even more by
following a few other tips and tricks:
-
Though almost all hot water heaters can be set to 140? F, it's
best to keep the temperature at 120 ? F. Not only can the higher
temperature cause scalding, but it also wastes up to 5% more energy.
-
Install a low-flow water fixture to slow water flow rates to about
2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) for showerheads and 1.5 GPM for
faucets. This tip can save you up to 60% on your water bill!
-
Use energy efficient appliances to help you reduce the amount of
hot water you use. Dishwashers and clothes washers with an Energy
Star label save you a lot more money than using inefficient ones or
even washing clothes and dishes by hand multiple times a day.
Shop for Tankless Water Heaters
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800-868-6008
