December 10, 2021
What Hot Water Heater Is Best?
It's a major question, and one that's more than deserving of a blog post, given that it's on everyone's mind when contemplating a new service. If you are in the market for a new Hot Water Unit or perhaps opting for one a little more efficient – The Pied Plumber can assist you in making cost effective decisions to both help the environment and your back pocket!
Some key factors to always consider in making the right hot water decision
- Do you have natural gas?
- How many individuals do you have living on your property right now?
- What is the total number of bathrooms and general plumbing fittings in your home?
- Location, location – LOCATION!!! Where ideally do you wish to situate your new service? Will it be safe and accessible there?
At The Pied Plumber – We understand hot water and appreciate supporting our clients in challenging and oftentimes unexpected situations. Since your Hot Water service is a substantial household investment, it's critical to get it right the first time.
What Hot Water Brand Should I Consider?
For the hottest of hot, hot water you’ve ever seen, Rheem comes on steady, hot and strong. It just keeps going on...It all boils down to brilliant marketing. However, there is no obvious winner in the hot water brand race in this day and age (sorry to break anyone's bubble). Many heaters are rebranded with similar warranties and technology, and are frequently manufactured in factories next to each other.
We advocate acquiring Hot Water heaters from Reece in order to receive prompt and dependable after-sales assistance, and we recommend sticking to the best brands rather than the knockoffs found at your local hardware shop.
So, what hot water service is best?
Instantaneous – hands down. Also known as tankless hot water systems.
If cheaper running costs, longer hot water service lifespan, greater warranty periods and fewer working valves to disrupt your hot water is of interest, then instantaneous options are for you.
It is important to keep in mind that instantaneous hot water technologies are typically more costly to install than conventional hot water systems since a weatherproof electrical power point is a factor in any outlay costs. However, once all infrastructure is in place, these installations save thousands of dollars throughout their life cycle through efficiencies and often last three times as long as storage rivals.
We suggest natural gas versions only since LPG systems are relatively energy-intensive, requiring considerably more bottle swaps throughout a year cycle.
Stainless steel storage (electric)
If accessing home natural gas is a problem, there are now a slew of stainless steel storage options on the market. Stainless steel regulates the same equivalent stored hot water as their old type black mild steel predecessors, with models ranging from 50L to 315L and various key differences for fairly similar outset unit costs.
These include:
- Between 20-24% greater thermal temperature storage which vastly reduces energy consumption
- No sacrificial anode. In short; greater flow rates through to your plumbing fixtures and less over all maintenance
- Stainless steel tank connections which are more durable comparatively to their conventional rivals.
- More than double the manufacturer cylinder warranty compared to black mild steel boilers.
- Upto 42% lighter which really comes in handy if wall mounting is of concern
Storage Gas (high efficiency 5 star)
If tankless instantaneous Hot Water solutions are not possible due to pipe sizing or property layout. Your next best solution will be an efficient storage gas model. These units differ slightly in appearance, but share two key features: increased insultation and a complete reworking of how hot gases are flued away from the tank. The bottom sides of these models allow hot burnt gases to escape, ensuring that the outside cylinder remains optimally hot during the getaway. These FIVE star cylinders come with a 10-12 year warranty along with certain improvements above their standard predecessors in sheer design. We also think they look better!
We’re always happy to have a chat if you’re unsure – give The Pied Plumber a call on 1300 13 80 80