Most homeowners may not give their water heater a second thought until something goes wrong. However, these fantastic appliances offer many benefits while they quietly work away in the background. Indeed, water heaters are the unsung hero in your home, and understanding more about them can help you get the most out of these appliances.
What Do Water Heaters Do?
Water heaters do precisely what their name suggests: heat water in your home. These appliances help pump hot water to your shower when you wash your hands, cook food, and do laundry. They work by heating cold water coming from a water supply line.
When you turn on a faucet or start the washing machine, it sends water throughout your house. The appliances are essential for getting warm, potable water, which is water that’s safe to drink, bathe with, and use for cooking.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters, also known as on-demand water heaters, feature high-powered burners to quickly generate heat and warm up the water as it passes through a heat exchanger. This process allows the appliance to provide hot water directly to your faucets or shower without a tank. Typically, these water heaters use electricity or gas as a fuel source.
Storage Tank Water Heaters
Tank water heaters include storage tanks that can hold up to 30–50 gallons of water. These heaters warm the stored water to a specific temperature until you need to use it. In most cases, they use natural gas or electricity to generate heat.
Once you need hot water, the tank pumps it via a pipe and transports it to the right spot in your home. The appliance also features a release valve that opens when temperature or pressure rises above a predetermined threshold as a precautionary safety system.
Which Type To Get When You Need a Replacement
Eventually, your water heater will break down, and it will be time to buy a replacement. You can usually find a reasonably priced storage-tank water heater and have it installed by a plumber. However, these types of tanks may wind up costing you more overall in terms of operational costs and needing to replace them again in 10–15 years.
Conversely, tankless water heaters may be slightly pricier upfront, but you’ll pay far less in operational costs. You save money because your heater isn’t straining to heat 40 or 50 gallons of water; instead, you heat only what you need. Tankless water heaters also last 12 to 15 years longer than tank water heaters.
Water heaters are truly the unsung hero in your home and offer many incredible advantages that make modern living possible. Allegiance Service Group offers electric tankless water heater installation in your home to enjoy the benefits of hot water on demand. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our services.