Superior Plumbing in Atlanta and Cobb County
Posted on December 18, 2009
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www.superiorplumbing.com – For superior plumbing service at honest and fair prices contact Superior Plumbing. Same day sewer and drain service. Call 770-422-PLUM.
One of the biggest energy-users in your home is your hot water heater. A traditional water heater has a fairly large tank where water is heated and stored. The hot water remains in the tank ready to be drawn off as required.
The most important problem with this type of system is that heat is lost from the water through the walls of the tank. That means that the heating system built into the hot water tank must occasionally reheat the same water that was already heated before.
In other words, a traditional hot water tank system uses energy even when the water itself is not being used. The longer between hot water uses, the more energy is wasted – for example when you go on vacation or go visiting for a weekend.
One way to reduce this loss of heat is by adding more insulation to the tank walls. This reduces the amount of heat lost through the outer tank walls, so the water in the tank does not require reheating as often.
Energy can also be saved by reducing the temperature setting of the system so that the water in the tank is not as hot as it otherwise would be. It is not unusual when people are surprised how hot their hot water is. Having scalding hot water coming out of your taps is not necessary – especially if you want to be environmentally responsible.
An increasingly popular alternative to the traditional hot water heater is what is called the tankless water heater. As the name implies these systems have no tank. As hot water is needed it is drawn through the tankless system and heated as it passes through.
In other words there is no tank requiring insulation, and no already-heated water to lose heat and require reheating. As hot water is required it is simply heated and sent on to taps, showers or washing machines.
A tankless water heater may not work as well in a colder climate like you would find in a place like Calgary or Buffalo as opposed to a warmer climate. If you are in Atlanta, for example, an Atlanta plumber will be the best one to advise you on the most suitable Atlanta water heater for your situation.
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