Water heaters are a necessity in today’s modern world. We rely on our water heaters to heat water in our homes for showers, doing dishes, and running the washing machine and dishwasher. To the layman, it’s hard to know how many gallons of hot water you need in order to accomplish the tasks you need to at home without running out of hot water. Other considerations for water heaters include the warranty, its efficiency, and choosing between various types of water heaters and materials they are made out of. A water heater salesperson can help you understand all of the particulars when it comes to choosing your water heater, but here are some basics to get you started.
When people come in to buy a water heater, many are concerned about the storage capacity of the water heater. While this does play a factor in which size you choose, it’s not the only consideration. Water heaters have a first-hour rating, which tells you how much hot water you can get out of it in the first hour. Depending on how often you run your dishwasher and do laundry and how many people are showering at the same time, this is a more important statistic than the total capacity of the water heater.
If you opt for a tankless water heater, these ratings aren’t necessary at all. Tankless water heaters heat up water as you need it, making your supply of hot water endless. There are some downsides to choosing a tankless water heater, like they don’t work well when you want two sources of hot water at once (like shower and run the dishwasher), and they are more expensive.
Choosing a model with a longer warranty is usually a good idea. This indicates that they have been made with superior parts and tend to work better for a longer period of time.
At Hall’s Plumbing, we are your source for maintenance on all water heaters. If you have any questions about your water heater or need some servicing done, please give us a call!