Why Choose a Gas Water Heater Over an Electric One?
Since we rely on water heaters so heavily, it’s important to take into consideration not just the upfront cost but the ongoing costs of maintenance when choosing your next one. At first thought, most people might think that an electric water heater would make more sense and is generally less expensive. However, gas water heaters, though maybe a little more are much more efficient, because of lower electrical consumption.
Gas vs. Electric Heaters
The main difference between the two types is that the gas water heater has a gas burner at the bottom of the tank. The heating process is based on hot water rising above cold water. Water pumped inside the tank will get heated by the gas burner and rise to the top. The hot water is then disbursed to the rest of the house. In contrast, an electric water heater works using the energy released by a heating element.
The gas burners are ignited by a pilot light and stay powered using gas energy, and you can simply light it up with a match. There are also different settings there, if you want to increase the water temperature, or if you go on vacation, and want to save on gas consumption.
Installation Process
Just as with all plumbing equipment, the installation of a gas water heater requires that you have fundamental plumbing knowledge. With it, the cost of having it installed by a plumbing provider can be eliminated. But in most cases, people do want a professional installer for this type of job. Incorrect installation can present danger and possibly severe injuries due to the nature of the gas.
Other Advantages
By using the gas-powered heater, your electricity consumption would be low as compared to the other types. Since It’s all based on gas, virtually no electricity is used. And because of low or no electric consumption, these types of heaters are environmentally friendly.
Since you’re going to be heating water with gas energy, you’ll be able to produce heated water twice that of an electric heater and with as less as one-third of its cost.
Safety Tips
As you can imagine, working with gas requires certain precautions. A malfunctioning thermostat may end up overheating the water tank and cause an explosion due to high pressure. Make sure to have some routine inspection of the gas pipes, which will show any leaks which can potentially create hazardous situations. Just keep that in mind.
Despite some of the risks associated with having a gas water heater, if professionally installed and regularly maintained, the cost and convenience benefits far outweigh them.
