Types of Water Heaters and Water Heater Repair | Sandy Springs, GA
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When you call for water heater repair it’s a good thing to know what a water heater has inside it and the different types of water heaters available. There are more options than you may think and they each have their advantages and disadvantages. When it’s time to call for repair or replacement in Sandy Springs, GA ensure that you know all the facts about water heaters before you go and make a fast decision when your current unit needs replacement.
The Traditional Units
First, we’ll go over the traditional water heater units, tank water heaters. These heaters have a lower cost than other types of water heaters, making them normal for most houses. These feature a tank of varying sizes that warm water that is fed into the tank from the outside. If you need to call for water heater repair for one of these units you might be better off paying for replacement rather than repair. These units are regulated by a thermostat inside and will raise, or lower, the pressure for the tank to whatever you need in your place.
If you are someone who has a maintenance plan with your water heater company you can extend the lifespan of your tank, which on average will last twelve years. These tank units are fairly simple for professionals to install as well. However, with the lowest-cost water heater, you have some drawbacks. If your household uses hot water faster than your heater can replace it your water will get cold, and it could take an hour or more to replenish the tank.
Getting On Demand
These water heaters, also called tankless water heaters are an upgrade from traditional units that can offer you an almost endless hot water supply to your home with little issues. These tankless units generally are assembled with heated coils that fill with water and quickly heat the water to the level that your house needs. These charge up when you start using the water currently inside of them and keep running as you go.
However, these units can be overwhelmed if you use a lot of hot water at a time, this will lead to water coming up tepid from your tankless unit and you would need a larger hot water unit to keep up with capacity so you don’t overtax the device. You may be calling for water heater repair slightly more often with these as they currently are expected to last about 10 years. However, because you don’t need to hold onto all that heated water all the time you use a lot less energy compared to tank water units. This all comes up with a higher price tag than traditional tanks and it may require a reworking of your gas lines to operate the unit at peak efficiency which can really spike the cost.
Pump It Up
Another type of hot water tank is a heat pump water heater, also called a hybrid water heater. A hybrid water heater uses both heat in the air and the ground to heat the water for you. Instead of electricity or gas coming into contact with pipes or tanks to warm the water, these just move hot air around the tank to heat the water. Hybrid units will have an external tank and take up more space than a traditional water heater.
If you have a heat pump water heater and call for water heater repair you’ll likely be able to fix the unit unless the tank is leaking. These units can use less than half the power of a tank water heater, making them very economical over the long haul. The biggest drawback to these units is that the air around them must be warm to work, and living in Sandy Springs, GA there may not be many of these although if you go further south or into the sunbelt you may see them often. Pump-style water heaters are expensive to start up to get all the parts done right, just ask your water heater repair specialist.
The Big Ball in the Sky
If you want to cut your energy bill substantially you can get a hot water heater that uses solar power. If you have solar panels on your property or your home it can be an easy tie-in. These will use your solar panel lines coming from the roof and connect those hot pipes into the tank to warm your water. This isn’t foolproof however and a backup power system will be built in to supplement during long stretches of cloudy days or in the winter if the panels are capped in snow.
Calling for water heater repair for one of these may also require you to call someone to service your solar panels to ensure all systems are working. Having a solar-powered heater will save you tons of money per month on electricity or gas, but startup costs for residential solar panels are still quite high and you could be waiting decades for a full cost capture.
Condensing
A condensing water heater is a great way to recoup lost furnace energy, and a call for water heater repair could be an interesting one. Condensing water heaters are great if you have a natural gas furnace as you will link your furnace and your water heater items together, being able to use the two interchangeably.
Condensing water heaters do not come in smaller sizes, meaning you will have a large water tank, to begin with taking up a decent amount of space. If you have an electric furnace these will not be of good use as they already capture most of their exhaust already.
When it’s time to call for water heater repair be sure to give those at Peach Plumbing + Drain in the Sandy Springs, GA area. They offer a full line of services including water heater repair and will do any plumbing job no matter how big or small right the first time for you.