Electric Heating Systems

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), water heating accounts for up to 17 percent of national residential energy consumption, the third largest energy end-use in homes behind heating and cooling units and kitchen appliances. As homeowners install amenities that require increased hot water volume, such as luxury tubs and custom showers, the percentage of energy used to heat water will continue to rise.

In an attempt to address this significant percentage of energy consumption, DOE has developed ENERGY STAR criteria for water heaters, the last major residential appliance that the program has not addressed. According to DOE projections, Americans are expected to save approximately $780 million in utility costs while avoiding 4.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by the end of the fifth year in effect.

Five categories of residential water heaters will be eligible for Energy Star labeling - high-performance gas storage, whole-home gas tankless, advanced drop-in or integrated heat pump, solar and gas condensing. The new Energy Star criteria go into effect in 2009.

"The Energy Star program empowers consumers to make smart energy choices that will save money and energy, and reduce our carbon footprint," said DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Krassner. "Expansion of the Energy Star program to include water heaters will give Americans yet another way to more efficiently use energy in their homes and, in the interest of increasing energy security and addressing climate change, help further the President's goal of fundamentally changing the way this nation uses power."

By leveraging the established value of the Energy Star program, DOE hopes that manufacturers will focus on developing more efficient technologies and that consumers will recognize that Energy Star water heaters will deliver similar or better performance than conventional models while using less energy and saving money. According to an April 2008 report released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Energy Star label favorably influences more than 70 percent of households, up from about 50 percent in 2003.

More than 9,000 organizations have joined Energy Star as partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. The Energy Star label now appears on more than 40 kinds of consumer products. A.O. Smith, industry leader for more than 70 years, has engineered a full line of Energy Star water heaters to meet the hot-water needs of households while benefiting budgets and the environment.

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Heated water is absolutely necessary for our way of life, and so many people are content to pay whatever they have to pay for this commodity. However, you may be spending several times what you need to if you use a traditional electric water heater. If you are still using one of those big tanks, then now is a great time to upgrade to a cheaper and more efficient water heating unit. Instead of supplying power off of the electric grid, you can use the power of the sun to heat your water, granting you some big savings each year. A solar water heater uses solar rays not to produce electricity, like with photovoltaic cells in solar panel arrays, but simply to produce heat energy.

Some Maintenance but Much Cheaper

A solar hot water heater is the perfect choice for ecologically aware individuals and families. A conventional water heater may account for as much as ten percent of your electric bill per month, although that number certainly varies a lot depending on the age of your water heater (newer conventional water heaters use less energy than older models). Installing a solar water heater is more profitable under certain conditions than others. For example, purchasing a new house and installing a solar water heater can easily help you save $20 a month, while the cost can be as little as $10 a month on your mortgage. Home owners with mid-1990 models or older will also see significant savings when they install a new solar water heater in their home.

However, there is a small amount of maintenance associated with solar water heaters. Fortunately, it isn't costly or time-consuming, and you'll only need to perform it about every three years (the hardest part is simply remembering to perform it). Different solar water heaters require different forms of maintenance, but it won't be anything too difficult to perform. Another note of caution: solar water heaters generally have a backup source of electricity (generally off of the grid) for when the sun does not supply quite enough power to heat your water. While in theory this isn't necessary, nobody wants to shower in cold water, so you can expect your solar water heater to still use about 10% the electricity that your conventional water heater uses. So far, no 100% electricity-free water heater has been developed, but you can certainly take a huge step towards that goal with a solar water heater.

You have probably heard of tankless water heaters by now, but maybe you are sure not on the tankless water heater cost. Just so you know, the tankless water heater cost is generally quite a bit more than that of the standard models, but there is a good reason for this.

The main reason that the tankless water heater cost is more than standard water heaters with storage tanks is because they will end up saving you money in the long run.

Therefore, especially if you are buying the propane tankless water heater for a business which is going to be using a substantial amount of water, it will really be much more worth it for you to go with the tankless than standard version.

Get a Deal

There are still ways that you can strike a deal and get a discounted tankless water heater cost however. The best way to do this would be to spend a bit of time on the Internet. By shopping for your tankless water heater, you will not only have access to many more retailers but as well will often be able to deal with wholesalers who offer their water heaters at greatly discounted prices.

Use it Right

If you want to make sure that you get the best tankless water heater cost overall, you are going to want to make sure that you use it for the right applications. You may have a specific application in mind for your tankless water heater, and here are a few examples of the different models and their functionality for a specific application.

Single point application is a term used to define the situation in which only one fixture is going to require an electric tankless water heater. The Eemax Single Point water heater, Stiebel Eltron Point of Use water heater, and the Chronomite Instant-Flow SR water heater would all be ideal models here.

If you are looking for a thermostatic tankless water heater, which serves as a booster for temperature loss from long pipe runs, the Eemax Thermostatic water heater, Stiebel Eltron DHC-E8 water heater or Stiebel Eltron DHC-E 10 water heater would make the perfect choice.

With this information you will be armed and ready to shop for a water heater and feel assured knowing that you are going to choose the right model for your needs and the particular application that you are looking for.

If you need to get a commercial tankless water heater, especially if you have no experience with water heaters, there are a few tips that will help ensure you come out of it all with the best possible results.

What to Look for

You are going to want to be very cautious and careful when shopping for a commercial tankless water heater. Look for a commercial tankless water heater that is going to offer you longevity and efficiency.

You should buy a water heater with R-16 rating or better, and you should measure the insulation thickness by removing the combustion chamber hatch on gas heaters and measuring the jacket thickness.

Needs and Comparisons

You are going to need to figure out what you need in a commercial tankless water heater and then spend a bit of time comparing between the different makes and models that meet these needs. You want to think about what brand you are going with, as some are better than others.

Keep in mind that if you contemplate adding an anode to a new tank, you need to make sure that both rods are of the same metal. If not, the magnesium rod will be consumed more rapidly in the presence of an aluminum one and you will not get as long of a life.

Price

Of course when you are buying a commercial tankless water heater you are going to need to figure out a budget, and determine how much money you have available to spend. Of course if you are buying for a business you will probably have a bit more money to spend, but regardless this is something you are going to want to figure out before you head out to do any shopping.

The Internet will really be your best friend here. Not only will it offer you access to more companies but as well you are usually able to find much better deals over the Internet. Just make sure that you are sure of what you are getting and that you are aware of any return and refund policies as well as warranties on the hot water heater so that if something were to go wrong with it you will be able to trade it in or get your money back.

This information will be very helpful to you no matter what type of hot water heater you are looking for, which you will definitely appreciate.