Having a broken water heater during the winter season can be very inconvenient. Obviously, waking up to this situation is not the best day to start your day. If you think you’ve been using your water heater for too long, consider buying a replacement unit to continue having access to hot water in your household.
It is important to do your research beforehand to look for different units out in the market. Do not buy a replacement unit on impulse to avoid costly water heaters. You can search for different reviews online or contact a specialist to get feedbacks about the unit.
Consider the tank size of the water heater if you are thinking of buying a traditional tank style unit. Choose an appropriately-sized tank to continue having access to hot water during the busiest hour of the day. Look for the energy guide label and check its first hour rating to have an idea how much water can be heated during peak demands.
Of course, it is impractical to buy a water heater that can cause your electric bill to soar. You can prevent this from happening by selecting a unit that has a high energy factor. If you want lesser operational costs, experts recommend using a gas-fired unit.
For tank-style units, choose a unit that has an insulation of R-16 or higher. Some homeowners prefer to use a fiberglass blanket to keep their water insulated during the day. However, this is not enough especially if you have a large storage tank. If you don’t want your unit to use energy while insulating water, look for tankless water heaters that heat water only when necessary.
If you have highly corrosive water, it is best to buy a water heater with a stainless steel tank since they fight against rust and corrosion better than glass-lined units. If you think tanks that are made of stainless steel are expensive, just think of how much you can save on your electric bill in the long run. Anode rods in each glass-lined tank are not enough to keep your unit free of sediments since they also deteriorate in time.
The heat traps in your water heater should be inspected regularly to keep hot water rising up to the supply pipe. These traps are built-in like an inverted U that can either be valves or connectors. Ask a specialist to install heat traps if your unit doesn’t have one.
Call a specialist as soon as the problem arises. This will avoid worsening the situation and costly repairs at the same time. Asking help from trained experts is important to select the best water heater that can meet your hot water needs. Take your time to buy a replacement unit since you will be using it for a long period of time.
Learn more about water heater repair tips . Stop by Brian Winters’s site where you can find out all about water heater maintenance and how it can benefit you.