If it is time to replace your water heater, you may be thinking about replacing your old gas water heater with a tankless, electric water heater. It is likely you have heard positive things about the electric versions, but before you decide to switch, you should consider the advantages of a gas water heater.
Gas heaters usually have lower operating costs
The reason is simple. In most areas of the country, the price of natural gas is cheaper than the price of electricity, so given that the same amount of water is being heated, it will be cheaper to use gas. Of course, you should verify this yourself. If you already use both forms of energy, you can check your bills and note the cost of each utility. You can then visit your local home improvement store and compare the energy usage specifications of the two types of water heaters to determine which one is cheaper to operate.
There are no savings in installation costs
This is sort of a reverse advantage because you will hear many talk about the installation cost of a new electric heater being cheaper. But the reason that electric heater proponents say this is because a gas water heater needs to have ventilation. So when a gas water heater is installed, a hole is cut in the roof. However, if you are simply replacing your old gas heater, you already have the ventilation in place, so you will not save money on installation costs.
Gas water heaters work more quickly
Gas water heaters heat water up and store it. Once the water is hot, it is available immediately. This is much different that electric water heaters. These are designed to supply hot water on demand. For this reason, they are also referred to as tankless water heaters. Cold water passes through a heating element, and then the hot water is delivered to the user. The downside to this method is that it takes longer for the water to reach the user because it must first be heated up. The storage tanks associated with gas water heaters will deliver the hot water in the time it takes for the hot water to flow from the heater to your shower, bath, or sink.
The above three advantages of a gas water heater are offered as a counter-point to much of the advertising you may have read or seen about electric versions. Obviously, the decision to purchase gas or electric for your hot water needs is yours, but you should give as much thought to staying with gas as you would switching to electricity. Contact a company like Actionaire Inc for more information about the various options.
Share18 July 2016
I know it can be difficult to make yourself think about getting your furnace running when the skies are sunny and the temperatures are hovering around 90, but it is the best time for you to think about your heating system. Getting ahead of the winter preparation game will help to save on the cost of the repairs because the need for furnace maintenance is usually at a low during the fall season. This blog will show you what you can do to prepare your furnace for winter and when you should hire a professional HVAC technician to take care of it for you.