While you may not give your water heater a lot of thought, this piece of equipment is a workhorse for your Bellflower, CA, home. It helps to provide warm water for your family to use when doing things like showering, washing dishes, and even cleaning your dirty clothes. However, when it’s time to upgrade your existing water heater, you’ll find there are various options on the market to choose from.
The Types of Water Heaters Available
There are three main types of water heaters that you can have installed in your home. These include storage, tankless, and heat-pump water heaters. Each type of system provides its own pros and cons that you should be aware of when making your final decision.
Storage Water Heater
This is the most traditional type of water heater that a homeowner will consider. It’s comprised of a cylindrical tank that heats up and maintains water at your desired temperature so that it’s ready when you need it. These units can be powered by electricity, oil, or gas. In most cases, a storage water heater will suffice for everyday usage. However, if your hot water demand increases, say from having extra guests in your home, you may find that you’ll run out of hot water.
Tankless Water Heater
A tankless water heater is comprised of a small rectangular unit that is installed somewhere inconspicuous in your home. As you turn on your hot water faucet, water will make its way through the tankless water heater and be warmed up. This is considered an on-demand type of water heater that can continue to provide an endless amount of hot water when needed. Since tankless water heaters don’t need a reservoir, they take up much less space. Their main drawback is that it can take some time for the water to heat up when you turn on your faucet.
Heat Pump Water Heater
Heat pump water heaters also use a cylindrical reservoir to contain preheated hot water for your home’s usage. The main difference between the storage water heater and the heat pump water heater is how the water is heated. Unlike the storage water heater, there’s no need to heat up an electric element or use combustible fuels to create heat. With a heat pump water heater, heat is absorbed from the air or ground outdoors and transported into your water heater reservoir to heat up your water. While heat pumps are the most efficient style of water heater, they are costly to install.
Understanding Your Sizing Capacity Needs
The water demands of each home are going to vary from one to the next. Factors like the size of your home and the number of residents are going to play a big role in determining the optimal sizing capacity for your home. When it comes to the storage or heat pump water heater, they’re available in different gallon sizes.
Typically, a small household of one to two people can manage fine with a 40-to-50-gallon water heater tank. However, larger households with five or more people can benefit from a 75-gallon water heater tank. When it comes to tankless water heaters, they’re measured in gallons per minute, or GPM for short. Typically, a 5 to 10 GPM tankless water heater will suffice for the average household.
Determining Your Fuel Options
If you’re replacing an existing water heater, it’s typically cost-effective to replace it with a water heater that uses the same type of fuel. For example, if you have an electric storage tank water heater, it’s best to replace it with another electric storage tank or tankless water heater.
However, if you’re not concerned with cost-effectiveness and are more concerned with operating costs, then it could be advantageous to investigate other fuel options. Heat pumps can be quite costly upfront. However, their energy efficiency is unparalleled compared to any other type of water heater on the market today. With heat pump water heaters being effective at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, installing this type of water heater can be ideal if you live in a warmer climate.
If you live in a colder region, you’ll likely want to consider a natural gas, electric storage, or tankless water heater. Electricity is widely available across the country. However, it can be more costly to run than natural gas water heaters. Natural gas isn’t as widely available as electricity, so it may not be a viable option for those in certain areas of the country.
Reliable Water Heater Service
Service All-Stars offers reliable water heater service for the entire Bellflower region. We can also assist with all your heating, cooling, plumbing, and attic insulation needs. Give us a call today to schedule your next plumbing service.
