24/7 Rooters provides hot water heater repair and installation services in Morris, Middlesex, Bergen, and the Greater Northern New Jersey area. A hot water heater is essential for heating water for many daily tasks such as baths and showers, doing laundry and dishes, and washing your hands. The average person could end up using hot water of varying temperatures as often as 20 times a day. Most hot water heaters last between 10 and 15 years. If you own your home long enough, you will discover that your hot water heater needs to be replaced at some point.
Types of Hot Water Heaters
There are a variety of hot water heaters available, including the following:
- Conventional storage tanks
- Tankless or demand-type
- Heat pump or hybrid
- Solar
- Tankless coil or indirect
Conventional storage tanks are the most common type of hot water heater and consist of an insulated tank in which water is stored until needed. These tanks use either natural gas or electricity to operate. Natural gas water heaters typically use less energy and cost less to run than electric water heaters, but they are more expensive and difficult to install.
Tankless water heaters do not have a tank in which water is stored. Instead, these hot water heaters use flashes of heat against water-filled coils to heat water quickly as it’s needed. Tankless water heaters are more energy efficient than conventional ones, but the initial purchase price is higher.
Heat pump water heaters catch heat from the air or ground and use it to heat the water. Heat pump water heaters don’t work as well in cold spaces because the heat pump is located on the top of the unit. These water heaters are about 60 percent more energy efficient than electric ones.
Solar hot water heaters operate through a roof-mounted solar panel, which transfers the sun’s heat into a liquid similar to anti-freeze that runs through the unit, heating the water. Solar hot water heaters work well during the sunny days of summer, but struggle to keep up on cloudy days. A back-up system run by gas or electricity will kick in on cloudy days, but this erodes the energy-efficiency of the unit.
The tankless coil hot water heater uses a home’s space heating system to heat water. It is a slide-on option for some boiler systems and is placed at the top of the boiler. It is very energy efficient during the cold months of winter, but loses some of its efficiency in the summer as the boiler must kick on every time hot water is needed.
Each type of hot water heater offers advantages and disadvantage. At 24/7 Rooters, our experienced staff can help you choose the best hot water heater to fit your needs based on size, fuel type, cost, and energy efficiency.
When to Replace Your Hot Water Heater
How do you know if your hot water heater is going bad? If you have a hot water heater with a 10-year warranty and you’ve had it for 15 years, chances are good that you will need to replace it soon. Some indications that your hot water heater needs to be replaced include the following:
- Rust
- Leaks
- Noises
- Failure to heat water
When sediment settles into the bottom of your hot water heater, you will hear noises such as whizzing or hissing when the hot water heater kicks in. Properly flushing your hot water heater occasionally will help extend its life. As part of your regular maintenance routine, you should flush your hot water heater every six to 12 months. At 24/7 Rooters, we can provide routine maintenance to ensure your hot water heater functions at full capacity as long as possible.
When you choose 24/7 Rooters, you can be secure in the knowledge that you’ve trusted the best licensed plumbers in the industry to maintain, repair, or replace your hot water heater. Our company also provides assistance with Sump Pump Repairs and Sewer Line Issues. Contact us today for a free quote!