Wondering how to choose the right water heater for your home? Keep these factors in mind when making your decision.
Think about how much hot water your household needs to use at once and choose a water heater with a hot water capacity that works for you.
Conventional tank-style water heaters have a large capacity for storing hot water, usually 40, 50, 55 gallons, or more. Tankless water heaters do not have the ability to store water, instead they heat it on demand. This means that tankless units do not have as large a capacity for producing hot water, but they can still supply plenty for a smaller household.
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If your environmental footprint is an important factor for you, you will want to choose a water heater that is high efficiency and doesn’t waste energy.
Since tankless water heaters work by heating the water as you use it and not keeping a large amount of water heated constantly in a tank, they are considerably more efficient than conventional hot water tanks. Combi boilers are also an efficient option that provide not only hot water but heat for your home as well.
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For the best efficiency choose a tankless water heater or a combi boiler
Space is valuable, especially in smaller homes. If you don’t have a bunch of extra space that you can comfortably allocate to a large hot water tank, tankless is the way to go.
Tankless water heaters are wall mounted and do not take up much room at all, unlike hot water tanks, which require a large space, usually in the basement.
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For small spaces choose a tankless water heater
4. Cost
Last but not least, cost is an important factor to think about when choosing your new water heater.
Hot water tanks cost less to purchase and install than tankless models, but because they are less efficient they will cost you more on your monthly bills. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, are a bit pricier to buy and install but will save you money in the long run on monthly bills. Think about what your budget allows for and choose your water heater accordingly.
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To save money up front choose a hot water heater
To save money in the long term choose a tankless water heater