When buying a home hot water heater, you should always consider the type of fuel that it is designed to use. You should make sure that this type of fuel is available in your home region and that it is economical to use than all the other fuel alternatives. There are many different types of fuels that can be used to power hot water heaters. The most commonly used fuels are electricity and gas, that is natural gas and propane. Other fuels that are used to power water heaters include geothermal energy, fuel oil, and solar energy. Solar energy is considered to be the most efficient because it is renewable and totally clean. One major problem with solar water heaters is that they have higher upfront costs than the other fuel types. Most homeowners have either or both electricity and/or gas supply lines in their houses. This is why electric and gas water heaters are very popular. All the different fuels that can be used to power a home hot water heater have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article we will look at the pros and cons of using a gas water heater.
Gas-powered water heaters offer many functional and financial benefits to their users. One of the main functional benefits of installing a gas water heater is that it heats water more quickly than an electric water heater. Gas produces more heat than electricity in a given moment. As such, gas water heaters provide hot water faster than electric models. The main financial benefit of buying a gas water heater is they cost relatively less to operate or run. Gas is cheaper than electricity and hence gas-powered water heaters accrue lower energy bills than electric water heaters. Another advantage of a gas water heater is that they are usually well insulated than electric water heaters to reduce heat loss. Conventional storage gas water heaters come with inbuilt insulation that enables the reservoir to maintain the water temperature without consuming a lot of energy. Another major advantage of installing gas water heaters is that they can still operate during a blackout. Unlike electric water heaters, which relay on electrical power to function, gas-powered models can still heat water even when the power is out.
The main disadvantage of gas water heaters is that they have higher purchase and installation costs. Compared to electric water heaters, gas-powered models have higher upfront costs. Another major limitation of gas-powered water heaters is that they can be quite dangerous. Natural gas and propane are quite dangerous especially if there is a heavy leak in the house. Gas-powered water heaters can explode if there is a serious gas leak in the house but modern models come with highly improved safety features. If you have a gas-powered water heater, you should request for a DC water heater repair service immediately you detect or suspect a gas leak in your house. Another drawback of gas water heaters is that they require the availability of natural gas or propane gas lines in the house for installation. These models also require more space to install than electric water heaters. And last but not least, modern gas water heaters have electric ignitions instead of pilot lights, which means that they can't be switched on when the power is out.