When you come to explore the market, you may find that numerous hot water systems appear to fit the needs of your household. Nonetheless, how do you determine the most appropriate one?
The following are essential factors that you should consider when choosing a hot water system.
1. The capacity of the hot water system
The size of your household and its hot water usage will determine the capacity requirement in a hot water system. For a small nuclear family, you should go for a tankless hot water system or one with a small tank. Secondly, consider whether your household will use hot water in both the kitchen and the bathroom. If so, you should purchase a higher capacity hot water system. Overall, you should aim to choose a hot water system whose capacity fits into the needs of your household.
2. The energy source
The source of energy determines the kind of hot water system that you should purchase. Many households use electricity as their primary source of energy and therefore choose either a traditional electric storage hot water or an energy efficient hot water heat pump system. Solar power and natural gas are alternative sources of energy for hot water systems. In this case, a solar-boosted hot water system is better because solar power is cheaper than natural gas hot water system. Furthermore, solar water heaters have a lower carbon footprint compared to natural gas water heaters.
3. The available space
If your house lacks sufficient space to accommodate a standard-sized hot water system, there are numerous alternatives on the market. For instance, lowboy water heaters are shorter and thus convenient for tight spaces with low headroom, such as small crawl spaces or underneath cabinets. What's more, a lowboy water heater is also the right choice if you have a large household because it can hold a similar amount of water as a tall water heater. Then again, you may want to go for a tankless water heater because it takes up very little space compared to tank water heaters.
4. The overall costs
Before you purchase a hot water system, make sure that its price, cost of installation, and annual operational cost fit into your budget. To begin with, the type and size of the water heater determine its price and installation costs. For instance, large water heaters are expensive and have a high installation cost. However, the type and size of your water heater will be dependent on other factors like the size of your household and the available energy source. Secondly, pay attention to the long-term cost of operating and maintaining the hot water system. You should purchase a water heater that has a high energy star rating and a high energy factor. In this case, a water heater with a high energy star rating is more efficient when it comes to saving energy. In addition, a high energy factor translates to greater efficiency in terms of heating more water per unit of fuel consumed.
In need of a new hot water system? Contact Level Plumbing Canberra at 6188 6088 for the installation, repair and replacement of hot water systems across Canberra.
