After a day outside in Canada’s Winter cold, unpredictable Spring storms, or Fall chill, whether you’re working, or playing with your kids and/or grandkids, there’s nothing better than jumping into a warm shower or bath. When washing dishes, it’s a lot easier to rinse off food stuck to your pans with hot water. Even washing our clothes, for most of us, using hot water is a must.
Hot water is something that many people take for granted, but all of us need it for day-to-day living. According to the Canadian Government, almost 20% of the average household’s total energy used is on water heaters. This makes selecting the right water heater system for your home essential. Below are some important things to consider when discussing your water heater purchase with an HVAC professional.
Should I buy a tank or tankless water heating system?
If your home has limited available space, a tankless water heating system may be ideal for your home. Not only do most tankless systems take up a smaller physical footprint than traditional systems, they also provide immediate hot water. No longer do you have to wait for water from your tap to “heat up.” Instead, hot water is instantly available. They are also generally more efficient than heating systems that utilize water tanks. However, there are drawbacks.
Committing to a tankless, or demand water heating system can limit energy source choices. Currently, only electricity, natural gas or propane are options for demand systems. Electricity is obviously the most available of these options, however, electric based tankless systems are the least efficient of the three options. Furthermore, for larger families who may have people showering in different bathrooms, using a large amount of hot water simultaneously while also doing the laundry, a tankless system might not produce enough hot water.
What energy source options are there for water heaters?
Of the three energy sources already mentioned, electricity offers the most options. Electric water heating systems can be tankless, use traditional water heaters or heat pump water heaters. However, both propane and natural gas offer a number of options.
Other energy sources used to heat home water systems include fuel oil, geothermal, and solar energy systems.
Factors to consider when picking the energy source for your water heating system.
There are a myriad of factors to consider when considering which energy source you should use for your hot water system. For instance, geothermal is a far more affordable option if you already use a geothermal system to heat your home.
Geotherrmal, propane, fuel and solar options are excellent for rural homes. Unfortunately, solar has a far more expensive upfront cost. Positively for Solar water heating tanks, they don’t require the ongoing costs of having fuel delivered to your home. But if you want comfort features, like instant hot water from your taps, propane provides the most options for the type of systems used to heat your home’s water in rural homes. Geothermal also produces energy at a low cost, unfortunately repair costs can be prohibitive. However, in rural areas, if you regularly experience blackouts, or prefer an off-grid lifestyle, geothermal and solar systems could potentially guarantee warm showers when your lights turn off, or even keep your lights on, in some cases.
In communities without gas lines, how much would natural gas cost? What are the safety issues involved with using propane or fuel tanks? Electricity may offer the most options to create hot water in your home, but there’s always a risk that using such a system may sky rocket your electricity bill, in places where it is expensive.
In all of this, where you live plays a huge factor in what options are available to you. Obviously, people living in a townhouse, condo, or attached homes may all be limited by available space. However, the people living in a townhouse and attached homes may also be able to consider solar options. Meanwhile, the person living in a condo cannot. Depending on the condo that the person owns, their only options may be an electrical water heater, but you may need to be ready for frequent water heater repairs as electric water heaters have a tendency to break after 5-6 years of work.
Finally, your personal ethics may be a driving force in your decision making. All water heating systems sold in Canada are required to meet extremely high environmental standards, but for some, geothermal and solar options are considered more ethical.
Conclusion
Every household that uses hot water has different factors to consider when selecting a new hot water system. When purchasing, there’s a balance between upfront expenses and long-term benefits. The luxury of tankless systems producing immediate hot water and taking up minimal space, versus the capacity of water tank systems. The limitations of rural living versus urban and municipal homes.
Obviously, a new home or full renovation offers more options than an emergency situation where a family needs a new heater as soon as possible. You also have to factor in the price range of monthly bills based on the energy source for the system selected. There may be issues, expenses, or even a conflict of ethics within a family trying to figure out what water heater is ideal for them. Many people do not realize how environmentally safe all water heater systems are in Canada.
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