Choosing a New Hot Water Installation

Choosing a new hot water installation for your home is not something that you should do on a whim. It is smart to take the time to research things thoroughly. You want to get the hot water system that is going to work best for your needs. This will give you the right results and it will keep your home operating smoothly.

You may not even know where to begin when trying to choose a new hot water system. The best thing to do is to take it slow and figure out your needs. There are several types of hot water systems available and you will want to know the differences between each of them. Once this is done, it will be much easier to come to an ultimate decision.

Types of Hot Water Systems

Generally speaking, there are going to be four types of hot water systems for you to choose from. You will have electric, gas, solar, and hybrid systems to choose from. Which hot water installation is going to work out the best for you is going to depend on various factors. There are certain things that should be considered before moving forward.

Each of the four options brings something different to the table. Electric systems can be cost-effective and easy to install but they may be more expensive to run continuously. Solar systems are excellent for the environment but you may wind up encountering difficulties with them if they are your only method of hot water. Solar systems are often paired with electric systems or gas systems so that heat will work on days that are not so sunny. Of course, normal gas hot water heater systems are tried and true in their own right.

Before deciding which of the four options is best for your situation, you need to consider several factors. Take a look at each of these categories to help you better understand your needs. It should make choosing a new hot water system a lot easier for you.

What Fuel Types Are Available?

Before going through with deciding which system to buy, you need to look into what fuel types are available in your area. For instance, gas hot water systems might be appealing to you but you need to make sure that it is a practical option for you. If you have a gas provider in the area, then it will be a potentially good option for you. Most people are turning away from true electric hot water systems due to the cost of using them so it might be smart to look into a solar hybrid system that is gas boosted if possible.

How Much Hot Water Is Needed?

What type of hot water installation is going to work best for you will depend on your household needs. If your household only has one to three people, then a solar boosted system will likely be perfect for you. Gas water heater systems and electric systems work out nicely for smaller households too. Larger households may want to consider a storage tank type of hot water heater. Take the time to really look at your hot water needs before moving forward with a purchase.

Distance Between Hot Water Taps and System

You might not think that the distance between your hot water taps and the system will matter much but it actually does. When your hot water installation is far away from the taps, you will wind up wasting a lot of energy waiting for the heat to reach the taps. This can harm your overall energy efficiency. This might make it so that you will want to consider changing your setup or try installing a separate system on a closer side of the house. It might seem impractical at first but it can make a positive difference for you overall.

How Much Space Is Available?

You need to ensure that you have enough space to use the hot water system that you are considering. If you do not have the room for a gas water heater tank, then it is simply not going to work out for your property. Gas storage tanks are going to require a flue that has to exhaust outdoors and the excess water needs to go somewhere. Even solar options need to have the roof space in order to be practical. Make sure that your property is capable of housing the hot water system that you want to use before proceeding.

Budget Considerations

Your budget is perhaps the most important thing to take into account. Many people like to buy the electric or gas hot water systems because they are not as expensive as the initial costs of the solar boosted models. Of course, a solar system may pay for itself eventually by saving you money on energy costs. Take everything into consideration and go with an option that makes sense for you and your family.

Energy-Efficiency Ratings

The energy-efficiency ratings of the different hot water systems are going to be important to consider as well. These energy ratings come in the form of stars. The more stars a system has, the more energy efficient it is. This means that it will consume less power in order to do the job that it needs to do. When you want to save money on your monthly bills, it is going to pay to buy a hot water system with a high energy star rating.

Many places are starting to make it mandatory to get gas hot water systems installed that are five stars and above. The older models that are less energy efficient are seen as far less desirable. Electric hot water systems use a very similar star system to their gas hot water system cousins. These star ratings are determined by certain ranges of allowable heat loss in a given moment. It should be possible to find both gas and electric hot water systems that have a high energy star rating so do your best to pick out a good unit if you are going with either of those options.