Water Heaters: Ten Tips to Help You Choose the Right One

March 15, 2010

Choosing a water heater for your family's needs can be a complicated process but getting it right can save you a great deal of money and inconvenience at a later date.

Five Points to Consider About Storage Tank Water Heaters

• Storage tank water heaters heat and store water in an insulated tank. You can get either an electric, liquid propane, or natural gas model. The last two are generally less expensive to operate than electric models because they use less energy.
• You need to get the right tank size for your needs--too large and you waste energy; too small and you won't have enough hot water when you need it. As a guide, 30-40 gallons is appropriate for two people, 40 gallons for 3 people, 40-50 gallons for 4 people, and 50-80 gallons for 5 or more people.
• Consider the demand for hot water in your household. If several people usually take a bath or shower in quick succession, for example, you need a water heater with a high recovery rate--that is the number of gallons they can heat in an hour.
• Look at the EnergyGuide label on the water heater and consider the yearly operating costs. Cheaper water heaters are not necessarily the most cost effective in the longer term.
• Make sure the space you have is large enough for the water heater you plan to purchase!

Five Points to Consider About Tankless or On-demand Water Heaters

• Tankless/on-demand water heaters don't store water; they only heat water as it is needed. As a result they are smaller and take up less space than storage tank heaters, and heat isn't lost in storage.
• Tankless/on-demand water heaters heat water by passing it though a series of coils in the unit as the water is drawn, so they don't heat water that isn't being used and can therefore be more energy efficient than storage tank water heaters.
• Tankless/on-demand water heaters provide an endless supply of hot water so hot water use is not limited by the size of the tank.
• Most tankless/on-demand water heaters provide only 2-5 gallons of hot water per minute so filling a bath, for example, can take longer than it would with a storage tank heater.
• Tankless/on-demand water heaters are not normally effective if hot water is demanded in more than two points at the same time.

A little research and thought about your hot water requirements should ensure that you get the water heater that you need.

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