Whether using gas oil or electricity to heat your water there are several buying options for water heaters. Some will cost less to run but may cost more up front, while others will be cheaper to buy but will cost more to run. There are five water heater styles: storage tanks, solar water heater, heat pumps, thanklessness heater and condensing water heater.
Tankless models are best for homes that use gas to heat the water and electric models may require you to purchase an electrical upgrade to your home just to increase the capacity of the electricity used. You need to check what suits your home the best but also you may consider consulting with some water heater Houston agencies, so you can make the best choice possible.
Condensing tankless water heater
When a homeowner turns on a hot water tap, cold water enters the water heater. The flow sensor inside of the water control valve activates the gas burner which put the heat exchanger in a ready state. The incoming cold water first passes through the secondary stainless steel heat exchanger at the top of the unit then the preheated water circulates through the primary copper heat exchanger in the bottom and is rapidly heated to the temperature.
During this process, condensate is produced within the tankless unit. In most models, this condensate is directed to a neutralization chamber that eliminates acidity so that it can be disposed of in any common household drain. The heated water is then balanced by the computer controlled water bypass valve so that the hot water exiting the unit is the perfect temperature. This process allows for maximum efficiency saving energy costs. It is great for smaller homes which don’t have much room for gas water heaters.
Gas water heater
Gas water heaters use a burner to warm the water in the tan. When a designated water temperature is reached, the burner will cycle off. The available temperature setting usually ranges from a vacation mode which will rarely cycle the burner on up to 140 degrees. Most manufacturers recommend that the temperature is set no higher than 120 degrees. How the water heater operates and its efficiency is determined by three factors: the tank, combustion, and air flow.
Both the incoming cold water pipe and the outgoing hot water pipe connect to galvanized steel pipes on the tank. Since many homes have copper plumbing, a dielectric union is needed to connect the two types of piping. The incoming cold water pipe attaches to the dip tube which distributes the incoming water to the bottom of the tank to ensure that all of the water is heated thoroughly.
The gas heater will ignite the burner using either a pilot or a hot surface ignition system. On water heaters using a pilot, the pilot and burner are regulated by a thermostatically-controlled gas valve. Most pilot systems will use either a thermocouple of thermo-pile to monitor the pilot.If the pilot goes out, the thermocouple or thermopile will prevent the gas valve from opening. If the pilot goes out it will need to be relit following manufacturer’s instructions.
Heat pump
Heating and cooling your home accounts for more than 50% of the average monthly utility bill, so it is important to make smart choices when considering a new heating and cooling system. A heat pump is one of the most efficient heating and cooling system available today. That is because rather than generating heat a heat pump simply transfers heat from one place to another.
Read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_source_heat_pumps
A typical air-source heat pump has an outdoor unit containing a compressor and condenser that work in conjunction with your indoor air handling unit. In warmer months a heat pump pulls heat from inside your home and transfers it outside cooling your home much like an air conditioner would. In the cooler months, it reverses the process and extracts heat from the outside air and transfers that heat into your home. Even on cold days, the air contains enough heat to warm your home, however, on extremely cold days a heat pump has an electric resistance heating element which can be used to provide auxiliary heat.
