Choosing a Water Heater for your Home

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Types of water heaters

There are many different water heater brands and models for homes and small businesses. Rather than shopping by price and then looking for a contractor to install it, you're better off getting professional input before buying a hot water heater. We'll assess your situation and hot water needs and recommend the most cost-efficient unit within your budget. Our contractors can install, repair or maintain the water heater that you choose.

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The main types of water heaters are storage tank, tankless, point-of-use and hybrid:

Traditional storage tank water heaters

Water heaters with storage tanks are the most common type in Wisconsin. Storage tank water heaters heat and store hot water for use, so it’s important to get the right size tank for your household needs. Because the water’s being kept hot all the time, it’s using energy even when you’re not using hot water.

Though they’re not the most energy-efficient, traditional water heaters have the lowest price point and cost less to install compared to other types. Traditional models need to be replaced on average every ten years.

Tankless water heaters

Tankless water heaters cost more than the traditional kind, but they can reduce energy consumption up to 30% because water is only heated as needed. And you won’t run out of hot water, the way you can with a traditional model. Tankless water heaters are also much smaller, so they take up less room in the basement. They can be powered by gas or electricity.

Tankless water heaters have a much longer service life compared to storage tank hot water heaters. On average they can last anywhere from 20-30 years.

Tankless water heaters are a great choice if:

• Your home is frequently unoccupied
• You don’t have space for a storage tank model
• You have a small household
• You have a business with modest hot water needs

If you have a large house with multiple people using hot water for showers, laundry and the dishwasher at the same time, you might need to get more than one tankless water heater to keep up with demand.

Point of use water heaters

Point of use (POU) water heaters are installed near where the hot water comes out: by a sink, shower or washing machine. This saves energy because the hot water doesn’t travel through lengths of piping losing heat along the way.

POU water heaters can be installed as a secondary or dedicated water heater for appliances or bathrooms located far from the main water heater. They’re a great choice if you are adding on a bathroom to your house or installing a hot tub.

Hybrid water heaters

Hybrid water heaters combine features of traditional and tankless types – much like a hybrid car uses both gas and electricity to power the engine.

Hybrid water heaters are also called ‘heat pump water heaters’ because a heat pump moves hot air to heat water on demand. If more hot water is needed, it’s heated electrically like a standard model. You can switch between these two options depending on how much hot water you need. Some hybrid water heaters have a vacation timer so you can put your water heater on pause if you’re gone for an extended period of time.

Hybrid water heaters work best in hot places, so if you have a room with extra heat such as a laundry or furnace room, that’s where it should ideally be installed. It won’t work efficiently in a cold space like an unfinished basement.

 

Call or contact us online for water heater service or to discuss your best options.