Who doesn’t love a hot shower or bath? Still as often as you may enjoy a nice hot shower – you likely don’t think about the life span of your existing hot water heater, until your shower goes cold! The rip is – buying a new hot water heater is pretty complicated today and there are several things you should take into consideration before you buy one.
What makes buying a hot water heater complicated? Well there are multiple of fuel sources, features and form factors that come into play. This article will cover the types of heaters and give you an idea as to how much you should budget for a new hot water heater.
When should you replace your hot water heater? Ideally before your old your unit stops working! It is best to plan ahead for the expense and budget for buying a hot water heater so you don’t have days where you can’t enjoy hot shower.
Hot water heaters are one of the appliances where you get what you pay for. The more you invest up front, the longer your hot water heater will last. The average life span of a hot water heater is 8 to 12 years. Hot water heaters with higher quality parts will typically last longer than those with less expensive equipment. More expensive hot water heaters will have two anode rods that rust out to protect your tank. You can extend the life of your water heater by draining and flushing the tank every year and as needed replacing the anode rods.
Buying a Hot Water Heater – What to Consider
Are you going to be replacing your hot water heater this year? Here are a few questions to consider when shopping for a new hot water heater. There is an infographic from the Department of Energy (DOE) below too that will help you with your decision making.
What type of fuel are you using for your hot water? Solar hot water (tax credit until 2016) and heat pumps are much more energy efficient. If you have an electric water heater, can you switch to gas?
Do you have enough hot water today, or do you sometimes finish your shower with cold water? The capacity of your hot water heater affects how long a shower you can take (or 2 at once) and heating bills. You might benefit from increasing (or decreasing) your hot water capacity and this becomes more critical when switching to a tankless hot water heater.
What type of hot water heater do you want to buy? The infographic below provides useful information, and addresses the associated costs. It’s important to not only look at the purchase cost, but also the installation, operating and maintenance costs to determine if it is worth investing in a more efficient water heating system.”
What else should you consider before buying a hot water heater? A hot water tank takes up a lot of space, so switching to a tankless water heater could free up space. If your house is large and the water isn’t really hot enough when it gets to the last bathroom, you might find 2 tankless water heaters located closer to where you need hot water, will suit your home’s floor plan better.
Learn More About Hot Water Heaters
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