You are already on the fence about buying a new water heater. Although it is said that cold showers are healthy, your family members will not appreciate them the slightest.
Don’t wait for the inevitable to happen, and upgrade your current water heater to a newer, better, more efficient unit that will give you endless hot water when you need it the most.
There are many water heater manufacturers and installers out there. By finding a reputable company, you’re saving a great amount of money and grief in the long run.
A water heater unit is not where we should be skimping our money on.
Benefits upgrading/replacing your old water heater
Less Hassle
There are many reasons why you should consider replacing your old water heater and upgrading it with a new one.
Some of the most common ones are the old age of the heater, there’s a leak in it, or there’s not enough water/it’s too small.
A faulty or inefficient water heater can cause a lot of stress to families. We don’t really appreciate hot water until we’re left without it; oftentimes very abruptly.
When that happens and we’re left without the ability to shower, take baths, and wash our clothes and dishes, it could take days or even weeks to replace the old unit and install a new one.
Not considering the time it could take to fix any potential damage that the old water heater caused.
By making a decision to upgrade our older model with a new one, we’re looking at a lot less hassle in the future and we’re actually saving money as you’ll soon see.
Water heaters have a typical lifespan of around 10 years but it’s often even less than that, depending on many factors, ie. quality of installation, rate of use, and the quality of the water heater itself.
The closer the heater is to that mark, the sooner it will give out and cause trouble or even damage.
It’s really important to find a reputable company to design the system and install it. A standard water heater has to be installed upright and in a well-ventilated area to prolong the unit’s lifespan.
More Efficiency
Water heater technology keeps going forward in terms of efficiency but also design and therefore, the new water heaters are more efficient than old ones. Often by a great margin.
That is a well-known industry fact that can save you money on those costly energy bills.
When looking for a new water heater, keep an eye on the Energy Factor rating or EF which is based on the actual amount of hot water produced per unit of fuel consumed over a typical day.
By looking at EF, you can see that the higher the number is the more efficient the water heater is.
Environmental Impact
The Energy Factor exists for reasons of water heaters’ impact on the environment as well.
By using less energy we can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the air. And by quickly heating up our water, the energy-efficient water heaters save the amount of water that we waste while opening our taps in expectation of hot water.
By installing a new water heater we’ll be using much less energy to get the same job done; all the while avoiding high energy bills and unnecessary pollution.
More Space
Having more space for storing things in your home is always a plus. By upgrading to a new water heater you could be saving a considerable amount of space that could be used more productively than a clunky water heater.
The new tankless water heaters on the market are small units that are simply mounted on the wall.
Tankless systems also have a much longer lifespan, we’re talking almost twice the lifespan of a normal heater.
Although they’re more expensive, your family will have endless hot water in mere seconds instead of minutes. Also, there’s no more running out of hot water if appliances are being used at the same time.
More Hot Water
Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with our old water heater. It’s only a couple of years old, there are no leaks or damages on it but we simply do not get enough hot water when we need it, ie. in the evening or in the morning.
When all the family members are getting ready either to go to sleep or getting ready for school and work.
If in peak times you’re cursing your family or your heater for not having enough water, it means that you’ve outgrown it. The heater that is, not the family.
By opting for a larger unit or a tankless system, you could have more than enough hot water when you need it. No more rushing to get into the bathroom before your other family members use up all the water.
Better Hot Water Recovery Rate
Hot water recovery rate and the so-called first hour rating are two metrics used to determine the water heater efficiency. The hot water recovery rate is the hourly amount of water heated to a set temperature.
For example, a gas water heater is recognized to have a 75% recovery rate, meaning that 75% of the heat produced by the gas burner goes to heating the water, while 25% is lost.
The first hour rating depends on the source of heat, the tank capacity, and the size of the heater or element. This rating measures the number of gallons of hot water the water heater can provide per hour. Or more clearly, the availability of water during the peak usage periods.
So, what do these metrics mean for us in the real world? It means that if your water heater has a good hot water recovery rate, you won’t have to wait for some time to pass before going to take a shower or a bath after another family member or members. There’ll be more water available when you need it the most.
