First time living on your own and you don’t know what kind of hot water system to invest in? Or did your old system just give out and you are looking for better well-informed decisions? Then you have come to the right place! We are here to compile all the things you need to look for while shopping for a hot water system.
Heating water takes up to approximately a quarter of a typical household energy, some systems can even require more than this. Energy consumption is an important factor to check before buying a water system. There are some hot water systems (HWS) that are energy efficient and environment friendly as well.
What kind of Hot water System should you buy?
The first decision you’ll need to make is to decide what kind of energy can you afford to run your Hot water system on? The options available are electrical, gas, solar, and heat pump
Electrical Hot Water Systems
- Electrical Hot water system is one of the cheaper options available. You have a lot of options and it’s quite cheap and easy to install as well. But it does consume a lot of energy and isn’t so light on the pocket, especially if you plan on turning it on 24/7.
- If your house is receiving off-peak electricity then you can invest in a system that runs on off-peak electricity. But for this you’ll need a larger tank to store water that has been heated over-night to last you all day.
- Electric HWS can be installed both indoors and outdoors
- Instant Electric HWS are also available
Gas Hot Water Systems
- Cheaper than electricity, Hot Water Systems that run on natural gas are quite light on the budget and because gas rates don’t fluctuate throughout the day you can turn it on all day long.
- Gas HWS generally come with an energy efficiency star rating
- HWS that run on gas are more commonly installed outdoors, but if you don’t have the option you can install it indoor but make sure to install a flue and ensure proper ventilation in that area
- If you are interested in a gas HWS then look for gas hot water system prices online to find the one that suits you best.
Solar Hot Water Systems
- Solar HWS generally just consist of two components; solar collector panels and a storage tank.
- For installing solar panels you will need an ideal location with plenty of sunshine, otherwise your HWS will render to be useless.
- Some Solar HWS come with an electric or gas booster element that help keep the water hot in days where there is little or no sunshine
Heat Pump
A heat pump WHS uses the same form of method of heating water as a refrigerator or air conditioner. It extracts heat from the surrounding and uses it to heat the water tank.