Selecting a New Water Heater

When Selecting a New Water Heater for your home, choose a hot water system that not only provides enough hot water but is also energy efficient and saves money. This includes looking at the different water heaters and selecting the right size and fuel source for your home. For more information on the different types of water heaters and how to choose the right model for your home, check out the Energy Saver 101: Water Heating infographic.

Types of water heaters

Before buying, you should know about the different types of water heaters.

• Conventional storage water heaters offer a hot water tank (storage tank).
•   Tankless or demand-type water heaters requiring water to be heated directly without using a storage tank.
• Heat pump water Heater distributors transfer heat from one location to another instead of generating heat directly to produce hot water.
• The solar water heater uses the heat of the sun to heat water.
• Tankless water heaters and indirect water heaters use a heating system to heat the water.

Selection criteria New Water Heater

When choosing the best type and model of a new water heater for your home, keep the following points in mind:

• Type of fuel, availability, and costs. The type of fuel and power source for hot water supply affects the water heater’s annual running cost and its size and energy efficiency. Please see below for more information on selecting fuel types.
• Size. To provide your home with adequate hot water and maximize its efficiency, you need the right-sized water heater. Please refer to the Different Types of Water Heater Types page (link above) for size details.

• Energetic efficiency. To maximize your energy and cost savings, you want to know how energy-efficient a water heater is before buying it. For more information on estimating energy efficiency, see the different water heaters.
• Cost Before purchasing a water heater, you should also estimate its annual running costs and compare this cost to other inefficient models.

Also, be sure to do everything you can to reduce the amount of hot water. You can also consider other strategies, such as  Waste heat recovery to save hot water loads.

Type of fuel, availability, and costs of hot water supply

When choosing a new water heater, it is important to consider the type of fuel or power source used, including availability and cost. The fuel used in the hot water system affects the annual running costs and water heater’s size and energy-efficient.

Fuel Types, Availability, and Costs for Water Heating

The type of fuel and its availability in your area may limit your choice of the water heater. Below is a list of water heater options by fuel or energy source.

Overview of water heater options by fuel types

The type of fuel and its availability in your area may limit you are Selecting a New Water Heater. Below is a list of water heater options by fuel or energy source.

• Electric

Electric water heater Widely used in the United States to supply conventional storage, tankless or demand-type, and heat pump water dispensers. It can also be used in combined water and heating systems, including tankless coils and indirect water heaters.

• Heating oil

Some areas of the United States can operate traditional water heaters and indirect combinations of water and heating systems.

• Geothermal energy

It is available throughout the United States to planning or installing a ground source heat pump system for home heating and cooling. For more information, see the Heat pump water distributor.

• Natural gas

In many areas of the United States, it can light traditional storage and demand water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) and combined water and heating systems, including coils. Tankless and indirect water heaters.

• Propane Water Heater

In many parts of the United States, it can be used to light traditional on-demand and storage water heaters (tankless or instantaneous), as well as indirect combined water and heating systems.

• solar energy

Available in the United States (most common in the Southwest) for solar water heaters.

Comparing fuel cost and type of water heater

If multiple types of fuel are available in your area, especially if you are building a new home, it is advisable to compare fuel costs. Even if you replace the water heater, using another fuel or energy source can save you more money in the long run. Please check with your utility company for current fuel costs or charges.

The type of water heater you choose also affects the cost of supplying hot water. A water heater can use that type of fuel more efficiently than another water heater. For example, electric heat pump water heaters are generally more energy-efficient than traditional storage water heaters for electricity. Electric heat pump water heaters can also have lower energy costs because they are more efficient than traditional gas storage water heaters, even though local gas bills are lower than the electricity bill.