Choosing the Right Type of Energy Efficient Water Heater

Hot water is generally used for many applications, and it can also account for a fair proportion of the energy use in a home, depending on how it is used. This use can also depend on the type of heating system the household may have. There are a number of heating systems to choose from; some are efficient and some are not. Finding the best types of energy efficient water heaters and choosing one from these will help to reduce the energy use in a home where it is caused by an inefficient water heating unit. One of the first to look at is the conventional storage water heater which is one of the more popular varieties with the hot water being held in a water storage unit such as a tank. These types of tanks can hold from 20 to 80 gallons, depending on their size. These heating units depend on the use of electricity, natural gas, propane and oil to heat the water. As hot water is drawn from the top of the tank cold water enters at the bottom reducing the temperature. The tank is often in a constant heating mode till it switches off when the temperature reaches the thermostat's set point. This kind of heater is not overly effective as an energy efficient unit.

Finding other quality types of energy efficient water heaters may be to look at the tankless water heaters. These kinds of units are an instantaneous heating system which heats the water as it is used. This method uses a heat exchanger coil to heat the water on demand without holding any in reserve in a tank. These have proven to be more efficient than the conventional heater because the unit only uses the power or gas each time the hot tap is turned on. There is no standby heat loss as with other heating units. Another type is the heat pump water heater this is one of the more efficient varieties. The heat pump system works by transferring heat in a very similar manner to a refrigerator and a reverse cycle air conditioner and is usually run with a compressor, the water moving from a low temperature tank to a high temperature tank. The efficiency of a heat pump water heater can be as much as 250 to 400 times more than other heating units.

The use of solar power in heating water is another way water could be heated and comes into the types of energy efficient water heaters that can save on power consumption. This variety of heating system uses the sun's energy to heat the water on the solar panel and move it to a storage tank. There are a number of different kinds of solar water heaters, with some being more efficient than others and the cost of these systems also varying. These kinds of water heating units can be very efficient, with some more so than others. Location can play a big part, how the system is facing the sun, shading, direction of a roof, size of a family and a number of other points. Using the correct solar heater for the location is important to obtain the maximum efficiency from the unit. Other things can play a part in this kind of energy efficiency such as insulating pipes, having shorter showers, setting water temperatures lower and a host of other ideas. Finding the right water heater for any location is important as well, because one that is not suitable may be costly in the long run.