When buying a new water heater, you need to consider a lot of factors, ensuring you meet the demands of your household. One of the essential considerations is choosing between gas and electric units.
Familiarizing yourself with their differences will help you pick the one that suits your home best. Linn Benton Plumbing, your trusted expert in water heater repair, shares a comparison between gas and electric water heaters:
EFFICIENCY
An electric water heater saves more energy than a gas unit. It typically requires less energy than a gas unit to heat the same volume of water to a specific temperature.
While gas units are cheaper to operate because of the low cost of natural gas, they are less efficient due to heat loss from the storage tank and exhaust gases. Nevertheless, you can improve their efficiency through insulation. They also now come in energy-efficient models, which feature an ENERGY STAR® label. Rest assured we’ll help you make the best choice when you turn to us for water heater services.
Gas water heaters have a lot higher recovery rate. This means that it produces hot water faster as the hot water in the tank is used. Electric water heaters typically recover at a rate of about 20 gallons per hour and Gas water heaters are over 40 gallons per hour. This can make a big difference if you have alot of people using hot water.
INSTALLATION
Switching from a gas water heater to an electric is fairly straightforward. However, it’s a different story when switching from an electric to a gas water heater installation, because you need to modify your gas lines. You might need to create a new vent, which adds to your total costs.
FUNCTIONALITY
An electric hot water heater is more straightforward to manage than gas models since it relies solely on electric power. There is no need to turn on the gas to use it.
COST
While gas water heaters have a high upfront cost, you can expect a low monthly utility cost since natural gas is relatively cheap. Meanwhile, electric water heaters are the opposite—they have a low upfront cost but high monthly operating cost.
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
Gas water heaters have more maintenance requirements than electric units. You must have the gas tank and lines checked regularly to ensure they are leak-free. In any case, it’s best to have both systems checked and tuned up by a professional every year to prolong their service life.
Gas and electric water heaters have different features that set them apart. Each has its own pros and cons, so it can be difficult to set one aside as the clear favorite.
When it’s time to replace your broken hot water heater, turn to Linn Benton Plumbing immediately. We’ll recommend the best water heater that meets your needs and budget. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
