The Electric Tankless Water Heater

To help you select the best energy efficient hot water heater for you and your home, we’ve listed the four different types below.

Electric water heaters:

Electric tankless water heaters are energy efficient, reliable, and require little space. Most individuals who have either a solar or a stove water heating system use the tankless water heater as a backup unit. However, electric water heaters have provided hot water for entire homes all over the world. Since World War II, they have been very popular in Europe, Japan, and becoming increasingly popular in Canada and the United States in the past fifty years. Electric hot water heaters do not require vents. Therefore, you can install them nearly anywhere. Because they don’t need vents, you can install or put them wherever you feel is the best location

Solar water heaters:

Solar water heaters use the sun’s energy to heat the water. Therefore, their efficiency greatly depends on the amount of sunlight they receive. If you live in an area where you receive strong, intense sunlight for the majority of the time, then solar water heaters may be right for you. However, if you live in an area where the climate is mostly cloudy and the temperatures cool then you may need to consider another type of hot water heater. Solar water heaters can be used as a good auxiliary system and can also be used to help heat the water in your pool. However, they are not cheap.

Stove powered hot water:

This is possibly the oldest method of heating hot water. Generations ago, most of our great-grandparents heated water in iron or clay pots for bathing, cooking and cleaning. However, today the process has been simplified with water jackets built into stoves. My aunt and uncle use a wood-burning stove, which stays lit often for cooking. Their system provides them with sufficient amounts of hot water.

Gas water heater:

Gas water heaters tend to heat your home as well as your water. They do require proper ventilation however. Gas water heaters also have a tendency to heat water more quickly and more efficiently than electric water heaters.

Before making your final decision on which water heater to purchase, do your research first. Compare the volume of hot water each system provides to the number of people living in your home. You also have to take into consideration your life style and the area you live. All of these factors will help you make the best decision as to which water-heating system is right for you.