Water Heater 101
Water heaters are hard-working members of your home's plumbing system that you probably never think about - until it fails and either there's no hot water or you have a flood on your hands. Because a properly-functioning water heater is so important, it's time you spent some time getting to know it better! This post includes basic information about how a water heater works as well as info about the different types of water heaters. As always, we want to provide homeowners with the best information we can, but if you ever have additional questions, ask a licensed plumber.
Your water heater is comprised of many parts that work together to make sure you have consistent hot water in your house, throughout every season. For this post, we'll primarily be discussing tank water heaters, as opposed to tankless, and those that are gas-powered, rather than electric ones. But here's a brief rundown of all the various types.
Tank Water Heaters
A tank water heater is the one that most commonly comes to mind when people picture a water heater. It is tall and has a large insulated storage tank for holding heated water. It has a cold water inlet pipe that comes down through the top and a hot water outlet pipe that also comes out through the top and distributes hot water to faucets throughout the home. A tank water heater also has spigot at the bottom, a spigot used for draining the water heater. Additionally, there is a temperature and pressure (T&P) valve, designed to protect the water heater by releasing water if the pressure in the tank exceeds 150 psig or 210°. The tanks also include an anode rod inside that helps protect the inside of the tank from corrosion.
Gas Water Heaters
If you have a gas water heater, your water heater will also have a gas supply line that feeds natural gas to the water heater, a gas burner at the bottom of the tank, and a vent for making sure any fumes from the burning gas are exhausted safely out of the home.
Electric Water Heaters
If you have an electric water heater, instead of a gas supply line, your water heater will have a 220-volt power supply, a thermostat, and heating elements that extend inside the tank, heating the water.
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters work very differently from its tanked counterparts and therefore have different parts. Instead of holding hot water in a tank, the water heater only kicks on when there is a demand for hot water, like a shower turning on. So, instead of being on all day to keep the water in the tank hot, the tankless water heater is off until it is needed, making it about 30% more efficient than a standard tank heater. Inside the tankless system, a burner ignites when the system signals a need for hot water. The cold water passes over an aluminum heat exchanger and heats the water directly. When the hot water is shut off, the system goes into standby mode. A tankless water heater also has a vent that diverts any gases outside the home. While this system is more efficient and less likely to cause a catastrophe if it fails, it is more expensive than a standard storage tank-style water heater.
If you have other questions about water heaters or would like to get a quote for replacing or installing one in your home, call us at 801-692-0455 or message us on Facebook. If you are looking at replacing your water heater soon, check out our post on new legislation for water heaters and what that means for you as a homeowner.
Author: Amber Smith-Johnson
Copyright © 2018 by Any Hour Services
Sep 28th 2018
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