Discover how you can help the environment and put some money
in your pocket at the same time!
In this article I will cover energy efficient water heaters. We will not
talk about the energy efficient tankless water heaters because they are covered
in detail in a previous article. Go to our web site to see it.
Energy efficiency is a hot topic right now and new technologies are being
introduced everyday. We recommend that you do not wait until you need a new
water heater to do your research. You may find yourself buying what ever is
available, instead of what is best! This is not a good plan since your hot
water heater is the biggest waste of your energy costs. So do your research
now, and double check it just when you are ready to purchase.
Consumers have a tendency to purchase their heater based on size. Actually
the First Hour Rating (FHR) is more important to consider. The FHR represents
the amount of hot water that the unit will deliver during a busy hour. Estimate
your family’s usage during the peak hour usage and find a unit with a FHR that
will cover it.
The most energy efficient water heaters are generally gas fired. Electric
resistance is an expensive way to generate heat and not as environmentally
friendly. Before you make the final decision, check with your utility company
to see if they have any incentives that may make electricity more attractive.
Besides the standard gas and electric energy efficient water heaters there
is the indirect water heater. This type is only for consumers who have a
boiler. It uses your boiler as its heat source. This type of system eliminates
a lot of the heat loss through the flue, as associated with the gas fired
heaters.
The next type is a heat pump water heater or desuperheater. With this
type the electric is used to move the heat from one place to another instead of
actually creating it. The heat source comes from the heat in the outside air or
the area where the unit is located. This type is not very common and harder to
find.
Solar water heaters use the sun to heat your water. They are very expensive
and hard to calculate the cost because there are so many factors that affect
it. These would include the amount of sun, where you live, which way your roof
is facing and the amount of hot water that you use. If everything is right
though they offer a virtually cost free hot water from a renewable energy.
Seems like solar power was hot, then cold and now it seems to be making a
comeback. There seem to be many opinions out there for and against solar power.
The drawback is that you must have some type of backup system for when there is
no sun.
So the bottom line is that this is a very big decision. Make sure that you
use every available resource to do your research before you spend your hard
earned money. If you make a mistake , you will be paying for it for a long time!
About the author
Bob Willoughby is the publisher of
http://EnergyEfficientHomeTips.net.
There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient
and save yourself
some money at the same time. Visit the web site to learn
more about
Energy Efficient Water Heaters
Tags: boiler, desuperheater, electric energy, electric resistance, energy costs, energy efficiency, energy efficient water heaters, fhr, final decision, flue, heat loss, heat pump, heat source, hot topic, hot water heater, indirect water, money in your pocket, new water, peak hour, tankless water heaters
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Tags: boiler, desuperheater, electric energy, electric resistance, energy costs, energy efficiency, energy efficient water heaters, fhr, final decision, flue, heat loss, heat pump, heat source, hot topic, hot water heater, indirect water, money in your pocket, new water, peak hour, tankless water heaters