Traditional Tanked Water Heaters
Traditional Tanked Water Heaters heat and store water regardless of whether you plan to use it or not. They have been used in most American homes for decades so they are the type of water heaters most people are familiar with.
Fuel Type: They are powered by natural gas, propane, or electricity.
Capacity: The amount of hot water a traditional tanked water heater heats and stores, and the length of time it takes to get more hot water, depends on the make, model and size of the water heater. Sizes vary from 30 to 100 gallons. When choosing the right water heater for your home, you should look at the following information in addition to the size of the tank:
- First Hour Rating is the measure of how much hot water the heater will deliver in an hour.
- Usable Storage is the percentage of hot water that can be drawn from the tank before the temperature drops to a point that it is no longer considered hot.
- Recovery Capacity is the measure of how quickly the heater can produce more hot water once the stored water has been used. It is measured in gallons per hour raised 100 degrees F at a given thermal efficiency and BTU per hour input.
A licensed plumber will also know how to size a water heater for your home. For example, a 40 gallon gas water heater works well for most 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom homes, while the same home would need a 50 gallon electric water heater. If your home is larger than that, you will need a larger water heater regardless of whether you choose gas or electric. Some larger homes have two 50 gallon water heaters installed together. If you needs extend beyond that you should also look at other types of water heaters such as tankless and hybrid.
Efficiency/Operating Costs: All traditional tanked water heaters are less efficient than the newer tankless and hybrid water heaters. In fact, with an EF rating of 0.58 to 0.62, a gas tanked water heater will typically use up to 14% of your home’s energy costs or more energy than your refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer combined. Electric tanked water heaters are more efficient than gas or propane water heaters with an EF rating between .85 and .94, however, they do take a lot longer to heat the water than gas water heaters. Regardless of whether you choose gas or electric, repair and maintenance costs will also increase your operating costs over time.
Installation Cost: Significantly less than that of tankless and hybrid water heaters; however, traditional water heaters require the installation of multiple safety features to meet Georgia’s Plumbing Code. These “code upgrades” can add to the cost of the traditional water heater. Furthermore, most traditional water heaters do not operate at a high enough efficiency to qualify for government energy rebates.
Safety: To avoid scalding, the water temperature must be reduced at the faucet by adding cold water to the heated water. Features such as thermal expansion tanks must be added to the installed water heater to meet Georgia Plumbing Code for safe operation of the water heater. And, if the water heater runs on gas, the gas line, gas valve, and drip leg must also be installed to plumbing code to ensure your safety. Electric tanked water heaters have an advantage over gas water heaters because there is no no risk of fuel leaks, NOX fumes, or carbon monoxide with an electric water heater.
Life Span/Warranty: According to the DOE, the average life expectancy of a traditional steel tanked water heater is no more than 10 years. Be happy if your old heater lasted 20 years, because your next one probably won’t. Older water heaters had much thicker steel and more porcelain than the new units. Because manufacturers cut so many costs from the manufacturing process, most steel water heaters made today will not last much longer than their warranty. So, a good quality tanked water heater should last between 6 -12 years. After that, there is a good chance the tank will begin to leak. For this reason, you should follow the recommendations in our Water Heater Maintenance section to ensure you catch potential leaks before there is water damage to your home.
Environmental Benefits: Traditional tanked water heaters are not the best choice for the environment. They use energy to heat and re-heat water even when there is no one home to use it. Because of this, traditional tanked water heaters do not qualify for the same energy saving rebates that tankless and hybrid water heaters can earn you. Also, traditional water heaters are larger than tankless water heaters and a lot more material, such as steel and copper, are required to make them, which also makes them less environmentally friendly.
If you are interested in having one of these traditional tanked water heaters installed in your home, call Atlanta Plumbing Plus at 770-447-0374. We will be happy to have one of our licensed and experienced plumbers come to your home to give you a quote for the work.
