There is nothing worse than taking a nice hot, relaxing shower and having cold water start pouring down. If this happens to you frequently, it might be time to invest in a new water heater for your home.
When it comes to picking out the right kind of water heater for your home, it can be a little overwhelming.
Your first decisions you should make is whether you want a tank or a tankless water heater and whether you want it to use gas or electricity. Each of these has different advantages and disadvantages.
Tank Water Heaters
Rheem Performance 40 Gal
Available at: Home Depot
Cost: $424
The Rheem Performance water heater is one of the most highly rated tank water heaters. It used electricity to heat the water rather than gas and is perfect for a medium size family.
Many people prefer the Rheem water heater because it's electric which results in a low upfront cost.
This particular water heater comes in various sizes. Speak with your local hardware store representative or plumbing professional with help in making a decision that best suits your families needs.
Rheem Natural Gas
Available at: Home Depot
Cost: $429
This option is often preferred by larger families due to the tank size and efficiency. The use of gas instead of electricity to heat up the water can often mean that you can save hundreds of dollars a year in bills associated with your water usage depending on the gas versus electric prices in your city.
This particular model comes with a six-year warranty on parts.
Westinghouse 52 Gal
Available at: Home Depot
Cost: $838.95
This is a perfect water heater for a larger family of 3-5 people. It is large and efficient enough to allow for multiple people to shower or used hot water at one given time.
Due to the stainless steel component and how it is made, it is a long-lasting choice with a six-year warranty.
It is compatible with most home installations and should be installed by a professional.
Tankless Heaters
EcoSmart Eco II Tankless
Available at: Walmart or Amazon
Cost: $216
These electric tankless options are perfect for small families or small spaces, mainly apartments complexes.
With relatively little maintenance and a low upfront cost, this is a great inexpensive option for a small household that doesn't use multiple hot water sources at once.
It is easy to install and heats a lot faster than similar storage and heating units.
Rheem Performance Platinum
Available at: Home Depot
Cost: $1299
This tankless gas option is particularly energy efficient with an energy factor of .92-.93.
Though this has a significant upfront cost, it ends up paying for itself as it is reported to save $1,100 a year as well as 1,100 gallons of water a year.
It is easy to install and heats water quickly. The compact size makes it a perfect option for small housing and the monthly rates are much lower due to gas prices.
Takagi Indoor Tankless Water Heater
Available at: Amazon
Cost: $533.99
This is another highly rated tankless gas water heater.
It is cheaper and has a 4.8 out of 5-star rating. Compared to the Rheem Performance Platinum tankless heater the Takagi has a much lower energy factor of .81-.83 but is more compact and comes with a ten-year warranty.
This particular heater stays consistent with temperature monitoring technology.
Point-of-Use Heater
InSinkErator HWT-F1000s
Available at: Amazon
Cost: $269
A point-of-use heater is something that many people have not heard of but can be a much cheaper solution to water heating problems.
This device attaches to one particular appliance to heat that allowing your water heater to work less. It is often used for sinks and showers. This device picks up where your other heater may fail.
It can be stressful buying appliance for the home, but with winter coming up this is a purchase that you will not regret getting.
Being able to take a shower longer than three minutes and relax for a bit after a long day is something that may help relieve stress.
When planning to install, it is always a good idea to call your local plumber.
Some of these have an easy installation process and may be able to be completed by yourself, but it is still a safe idea to call your local plumber to help you avoid unwanted damages.
They can let you know of any tricks that may help with self-installation or, for most heaters, and can quickly come out and install it in a way that will keep your system up and running.
Get rid of your old system and keep you and your family safe this winter.
Though it may not seem like a high-risk project, your average handyman may not know all the steps to take to keep you safe.
Call your local plumber and rest assured that the water heater you invest in, is installed the first time correctly.