The thought of taking a cold shower during winter is in itself chilling. Therefore, you must fix or install your hot water tank before the chilly season to avoid shower nightmares. The right water heater constantly supplies your household with hot showers. It’s a central home appliance for both residential and commercial buildings.
Types of Hot Water Tanks
Hot water tanks are simple in design but are available in different variations, designs, and sizes. Every type of water heater performs similarly, but the function is different. Proper hot water tank installation will ensure the appliance serves its purpose fully, so choosing the right option is important. Here are the different types of hot water tanks.
Storage Water Heaters
The most popular water heaters have a huge storage tank where heating and holding of water happens. They’re either electric or gas-powered; gas water heaters are faster than electric options, which are less expensive. Storage water heaters need regular flushing and cleaning to ensure they’re in good shape and function long-term.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand, offering unlimited supply anytime. They only produce when need be, unlike the storage water heaters that heat water constantly. Moreover, they’re more energy efficient, making them cheaper to operate.
Nonetheless, tankless water heaters are more expensive than the storage options since they can only produce hot water at a certain flow rate and struggle to produce it simultaneously for multiple users. The setback is a key concern for people with larger buildings or households with many occupants.
Heat Pump Water Heaters
These water heaters transfer heat from outside air into the storage tank, unlike the typical heaters fitted with heating elements. Heat pump water heaters run on extremely low energy bills since little power is needed to operate the system, saving you significant money in the long run. The only limitation is that heat pump water heaters are only ideal for hot climate areas since they depend on the outside temperature to heat water.
Solar Water Heaters
As the name suggests, solar water heaters are powered by solar panels. The greatest benefit of solar water heaters is their dependency on the sun, meaning they’re free to operate, serving your household with hot water throughout the year. Moreover, manufacturers have also designed systems for use in colder climates.
However, they need the sun to heat water. At times when there’s excessive cloud cover, you’ll have no choice but to survive with cold showers or look for alternatives.
Condensing Water Heaters
Condensing water heaters are only ideal for particular home settings. You can only install them in homes with a natural gas heating unit. Although condensing water heaters are built with a hot water storage tank, they use the exhaust gas from a central heating unit to power their heating elements, unlike the traditional water heaters that heat up with a direct gas line.
As a result, condensing water heaters save users a significant amount of money eventually while providing you with hot water, and you enjoy the efficiency of gas water heating. The main drawback of this money-saving system is that it’s only viable for particular homes. Those with electric heaters can’t use this system.
Conclusion
A hot shower prepares your mind and body for the day ahead, especially in cold weather. Therefore, you must check or install a hot water tank before winter to ensure you don’t dread or skip a daily shower.