Surprising Benefits to Consider for Water Heater Replacement

How often do you think about your hot water heater? If you’re like most people, not much. A hot water heater is usually something that gets taken for granted—out of sight, out of mind. Until it isn’t.

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Cold showers will be the least of your worries if your basement starts flooding with up to 50 gallons of water from a leaky old tank, damaging your floors, walls, and belongings. As a general rule of thumb, traditional tank storage water heaters should last 10 – 15 years. If you’re close to hitting that milestone, it might be time to consider upgrading your system.

Gas, electric, solar powered, tankless, different sizes—with so many types of hot water heaters to choose from nowadays, it is important to take your time to find the best option for your family and home. Don’t wait for disaster to strike, or you’ll end up rushing to purchase whatever will get your hot water running again as quickly as possible. This could potentially cost you more than you need to spend for something that might be less than ideal.

If you need another reason to start exploring hot water heater replacement, here are 5 additional benefits that may surprise you!

1. Higher efficiency. Newer hot water heaters help reduce waste and save energy. Better insulation and less time to heat the water makes hot water heaters more efficient. When less energy is used, greenhouse gas emissions are lower.
Pro tip: Look for the Uniform Energy Factor rating (UEF). This number calculates how much energy it takes to produce your hot water output. The higher the number, the more efficient it is.

2. Bigger savings. It goes without saying that the more efficient your hot water heater is, the less it will cost you to run it. Another advantage of a new hot water heater is that it also requires less maintenance.
Pro tip: As hot water heaters age, they require more energy to work correctly. Pay attention to your utility bills—if you see a spike in costs, it could be because your existing unit is beginning to fail.

3. Quieter conditions. Older units tend to be louder when they run than their newer counterparts, but they also make more noise as they age. You might be shocked to hear the reduction in white noise when you replace your clunky, old hot water heater.
Pro tip: Sediment buildup in hot water heater tanks is common, but as it hardens, it might start to move around and make knocking or rumbling noises. If you hear unusual sounds, call your plumber to have it checked.

4. Less space. Newer hot water heaters are more streamlined, especially tankless units. These small rectangular units are mounted to a wall, giving you more storage space.
Pro tip: Because there is no big bulky storage tank, a typical large tankless hot water heater only takes up a space of about 24 inches square with a depth of 10 inches. There are other factors to consider before you go tankless, though; talking to a professional can help you decide if it is right for you.

5. Longer showers. As your household grows, so do your hot water needs. A new hot water heater can help you accommodate more people by increasing the size of your tank. Also, a better recovery rate means hot water will replenish faster, allowing your family to take multiple back-to-back showers and ensuring no one gets left in the cold.
Pro tip: Tankless units heat water on demand, meaning there is no end to the amount of your hot water supply.

Want to learn more about the different kinds of hot water heaters available and what would be best for your unique home? Ask a Blue Dot professional plumber! We’re happy to answer your questions and find the best solution for you. Reliable home comfort is just a call or click away.

Call 785-272- or request a free consultation here to connect with a Blue Dot expert!

There are many reasons that households should consider installing electric water heaters instead of gas water heaters; here are some of the biggest advantages that electric water heaters have against the competition:

Lower initial costs

Of all water heater options available on the market today, an electric water heater is likely to be your most affordable option when it comes to upfront price.

Importantly, the cost will largely depend on the size and type of water heater, regardless of the fuel used to power it. For instance, traditional tank water heaters are less expensive, while tankless, on-demand water systems tend to be more expensive upfront. Generally speaking,  the price disparity between the types of hot water heaters is largely the result of the cost of installation.

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Gas water heaters require additional piping and a new ventilation system to vent the exhaust coming from the combustion process. On the other hand, electric water heaters do not require this additional in-home infrastructure, so the installation process is both simpler and quicker. There is the possibility that your home may need an electrical upgrade prior to installing an electric water heater, which would make the installation process more expensive; however, such upgrades are uncommon when installing an electric water heater.

Efficiency

The best way to compare the efficiencies of various water heaters is to look at their respective energy factors (EF). This number evaluates how effective a water heater is at producing hot water, measuring how much fuel or electricity is required to heat your water. With the EF numbers in hand, comparing the efficiency of each type of water heater is quite simple: higher efficiency heaters will have higher EF numbers.

In the battle between gas and electric water heaters, electric water heaters win out from an efficiency perspective. Conventional gas water heaters typically have EF numbers ranging from 0.5  to 0.7, while electric water heaters can have EF numbers higher than 0.9. In general, most of the energy loss from gas water heaters occurs during the venting process, which is nonexistent in an electric water heater.

Safety

Both electric and gas water heaters are safe solutions for heating your water. That said, as with any appliance run on gasoline, water heaters are susceptible to gas leaks if they run on propane or natural gas. You can alleviate these risks by conducting proper maintenance and inspections of your gas water heater.

While electrical appliances have their own safety concerns, the chances of experiencing a gas leak are higher than witnessing any sort of electrical safety issue with a water heater.

Availability

Nearly every home is tied to the electric grid, and as such, they all have a readily available source of electricity (save for when the power grid is down). This means that just about any home can effectively use an electric water heater.

On the other hand, if you're interested in installing a gas water heater, you'll need to ensure that your home is connected to a natural gas line or has a propane supply source. If not, making these upgrades for the purpose of installing a gas water heater can be costly.

Electric water heaters are not the best solution for every home. Here are some of the downsides of using an electric water heater:

Heating time and recovery rates

Do you spend a lot of time waiting for your shower water to heat up? With electric water heaters, this process is going to take even more time than with a gas water heater. This is because the gasoline combustion process generates heat more rapidly (sometimes even twice as fast) as electric heating.

Gas water heaters have a higher recovery rate (i.e., the amount of water the appliance can heat to a set temperature in a given time frame). For larger households with more hot water needs, gas water heaters may be a necessity. Alternatively, households with only a couple of members won't require the same recovery rate that gas water heaters have to offer.

Power outages

If the grid goes down due to a storm or other event, you won't have access to hot water with an electric water heater. Gas water heaters, on the other hand, can operate even when your power is out.

If this is going to be a primary driver in your decision, it's important to confirm that your gas water heater does not need electricity to operate. Even if electricity isn't the primary source of fuel, some newer gas water heaters will use an electrical ignition rather than a pilot light. These types of water heaters will also be unusable in the event of a power outage.

Operating costs

Even though electric water heaters are more efficient than gas water heaters, you'll likely spend less money overall if you heat your water supply with gas. This is due to the cost of the fuel source. These days, natural gas is one of the cheapest sources of energy, and in most cases, the cost of electricity will be much higher.

As the costs of both natural gas and electricity vary by region, it's a good idea to compare the costs of each before making a final decision on how you want to heat your water. Some utilities may offer financial incentives for installing electric water heaters that can make it a more cost-competitive option.