Water heaters are essential in every home, as well as other appliances for comfortable living. They can be purchased from online platforms for home appliances. You should visit home appliances companies reviews section to learn more. Before you purchase a water heater, you should know what type suits your needs. There are two main types of water heaters and they are; the electric water heater and the gas-powered water heater. You simply have to install the heaters and connect to an electric outlet for an electric heater and build vents for a gas heater. Companies like eComfort specializes in vents.
Electric water heater
They are the most popular type of water heaters, as they are powered by electricity.
PROS
- Electric water heaters are the most affordable type of water heaters. The cost is dependent on the size and kind of heater.
- Electric water heaters are more efficient in that they produce hit water with little fuel or power, having EF (Energy Factors) numbers greater than 0.9.
- Both types of water heaters are safe to use but with electric heaters, you do not have to worry about gas leakages, and the risk of having an electrical problem is relatively low.
- Every home has electricity or is connected to a power source, therefore, this makes it easy to use an electric water heater effectively as there’s no need to source for fuel.
CONS
- With electric heaters, you have to wait a certain amount of time for the water to get hot, and it can only heat a small amount of water per time, so if you plan to use up a lot of hot water, your appliance has to be on for much longer.
- If there’s a power outage or blackout, you won’t be able to get hot water with an electric heater as it depends on electricity to function.
- Electric heaters may be more efficient and affordable than gas heaters, but they cost more to operate than gas heaters. Natural gas has been proven to be the cheapest source of energy in recent times, whereas the cost of electricity is on the rise.
- These water heaters are powered by gas engines as opposed to the electric heaters.
Gas water heaters
Here are some advantages of gas water heaters over electric water heaters
PROS
- Gas heaters heat water approximately twice faster than the electric heater. The gas heater heats more water in a given amount of time, and it takes less time for the water to get hot. This is ideal for a large family because the probability of running out of hot water is low.
- Natural gas is a cheap energy source, hence making gas water heaters cheaper to maintain and operate compared to electric heaters.
- Although there are gas heaters with electric ignitions, gas heathers that have a pilot light ignition do not depend on electricity to start, so if there’s a power outage or blackout, you will still have hot water.
CONS
- Gas water heaters cost more to stall and maintain, due to the cost of vents and other things that allow the gas heater to function properly.
- Electric heaters have been proven by experts to last about a year longer than gas heaters if both were installed at the same time.
- The installation of gas heaters is more complex and difficult than electric heaters. Gas heaters require ventilation systems, especially in homes where a gas heater has never been installed where PVC pipes will be used to let out steam through the roof.