Tankless Water Heater Buying Guide | Marrero, LA
Shopping for new fixtures for your Marrero, LA, home is no small feat, so it’s only right that you do plenty of research. Water heaters are a particularly tricky one because you have so many different options available to you. While a lot of people still use traditional tank-style water heaters, smaller point-of-use and tankless water heaters are starting to become a more popular option for people everywhere. If you’re in the market for a new water heater but not sure what your options are, we’ve got a water heater buying guide to help you out.
Gas vs. Electric
Whether you’re investing in another tank-style water heater or looking at tankless water heaters, you need to decide whether you want your water heater to be powered by gas or electricity. There are benefits to both types, and ultimately you may want to simply make the decision based on your previous water heater.
As a general rule, gas water heaters are more efficient than electric models, which means you can save money on your water heating bill with a gas model. However, it’s important to note that these savings depend on the price of gas in your area, which can vary quite a bit over time.
Electric water heaters are efficient enough to get the job done and simple to install, but those aren’t their biggest benefits. The best part about electric water heaters is that they’re more affordable than gas models. While it will cost a little more to run an electric water heater, you won’t have to spend as much upfront.
Tankless vs. Tank-style
The next decision you have to make is whether you want a tank-style or tankless water heater for your Marrero, LA, home. This is a considerably more important decision than gas vs. electric for most people because it affects your comfort on a day-to-day basis.
Tank-style water heaters are the traditional option and are still what you’ll find in most modern homes. These water heaters have a large tank — generally about 50 gallons for a residential model — which is filled with water that’s heated by elements in the tank. While this is a reliable way of delivering hot water to your home, it also takes a lot of energy to keep a 50-gallon tank of water at 120 degrees or higher.
Tankless water heaters are becoming a much more popular option these days because they’re designed to be more efficient and convenient. Instead of heating a tank full of water to be sent to various parts of your home, tankless system creates hot water on demand so you always have it available to you. While tank-style water heaters have first-hour rating and a listed capacity, tankless water heaters simply tell you how much hot water they can put out in a minute. The one tricky part about tankless models is that you have to do some calculating to make sure you’re getting enough hot water in your home.
Capacity
One of the toughest parts about buying a water heater for your Marrero, LA, home is finding a water heater that provides enough hot water for your needs. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of powerful water heaters out there, it’s just tough to determine your needs and find a good middle ground between convenience and price.
As far as tank-style water heaters go, the first-hour rating is what’s most important. This rating combines the water heater’s capacity with the amount of hot water it can produce in an hour, which gives you a good idea of how much hot water you can expect to get from your water heater. If you’re not sure how much water the fixtures and appliances in your home use, you can always look at the owner’s manual or look it up on Google to find an approximate answer.
Tankless systems are pretty much the same in terms of finding the right capacity, but you have to calculate your water usage per minute. Tankless water heaters have a gallon per minute (GPM) rating that tells you how much hot water they can put out each minute. Faucets, showerheads and other fixtures have the same rating, as do appliances such as your washing machine and dishwasher. You can find out how much hot water you need by combining the GPM of the things you most often use together, such as a sink, shower and washing machine.
Point of Use
Getting enough hot water to satisfy people throughout your Marrero, LA, home is a tough task, but there are new innovations in water heaters to help with that. Whether you’re looking for tank-style or tankless water heaters, point-of-use models can help you get a little extra hot water where you need it most.
Typically, a water heater is installed in one part of your home and connected to your plumbing system, which means your whole home shares hot water. Point-of-use water heaters are installed near the fixture that’s using them, such as a sink or shower. Since these water heaters only feed one fixture, you can make sure you have water in one bathroom without disturbing the hot water supply for the rest of the house.
As is the case with regular water heaters, you can your choice between tank-style and tankless water heaters when it comes to point-of-use models.
A Helping Hand
Choosing the right water heater isn’t the easiest task, especially if you have a high demand for hot water in your Marrero, LA, home. Whether you invest in a traditional tank-style water heater or point-of-use tankless water heaters, a professional can help you choose the best fit for you.
At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of New Orleans, we know how hard it can be to make expensive decisions, which is why we’re here to help. If you need help picking out a water heater and getting it installed in your home, call bluefrog today at (504) 291-6075.
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