Construction & Contractors Blog
Heating water for things like showers, washing dishes, and even laundry is something people don't always think about. Most homes have a hot water heater that runs on either gas or electric power and does the job quite well. But if you stop and consider the amount of hot water most homes use versus the amount that is heated and kept hot every day, you might find that you are using electricity or gas to do something that it does not really need to do.
Your Hot Water Tank May Be Costing You Money
The idea behind the hot water heater or tank in your home is good, but at the same time, it is outdated. When hot water heaters first came into use, it took some time to heat the water in them and once it was hot, it was important to keep it that way. Because of this design, the hot water heater is turning on and off to keep the water in the tank hot, all day and all night. If you think about that, you are heating or maintaining hot water while your home is empty during the workday and at night when you are asleep, both of which are times you most likely do not need that water hot. Doing so means using gas or electricity that you may not really need to use.
Hot Water On Demand
There are a couple of ways to reduce the amount of energy or fuel you are using to keep your hot water hot all day. The first is to not have a hot water tank at all. Tankless hot water systems have been on the market for a few years and are very efficient at heating water on demand. When you turn on the tap, the water is heated very quickly as it passed through the heater. The temperatures at the tap can rival or even surpass those of a standard hot water tank or heater, but water is not heated until it is needed. The second system is a hot water boiler, which is still more efficient than a hot water tank, though some systems use a tank to keep the water hot so they may or may not be saving you money.
How Tankless Hot Water Heaters Work
Tankless hot water heaters have several features built in to help them work. The first is the heater itself. Tankless systems use a very sophisticated and efficient heat exchanger that the water passes through. The heat exchanger can have a gas or electric burner and will only heat water when it is needed. The second part of this system is a monitor that detects the flow of water when the hot water tap is turned on. The water is only heated when water starts to flow through the system. If the water is heated too much, the system will temper it by mixing a small amount of cold water in to achieve the proper, safe temperature. Systems are available for whole-house or point-of-use layouts, so you can pick which is the best fit for your home. Contact a plumbing company like First Class Plumbing of Florida Inc. to learn more.
Share24 May 2018
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
