Hot water is essential for any household. It is not a necessity just for the winter months, but many people prefer to use hot water even during the hot, summer months. This water can be used in your bathroom, laundry room, kitchens and meet the needs of you and your family. If you are looking for a guide to buy an appropriate hot water system for your household, here are some tips to help you:
Few things you must consider before buying the heating system
- Your household size, as in how many people will be using this system.
- The location of the heating system will determine how much energy is lost in the pipes and reduces water wastage.
- Future needs; you need to ensure this heating system will be enough not only for you presently, but also for a larger number of people in the future.
- Energy; what type of a heating system you are going to purchase and the tariff options for that system are important things to consider.
The different types of hot water systems
- Gas: There are two main types of gas heating systems. These can be continuous flow or storage. Natural gas or LPG is used for this sort of heating system. The storage type of hot water system heats the water which is ready to use immediately. These can service multiple showers at the same time and installation is extremely easy. However, it is possible to run out of hot water in these systems, and it can take some time for the water to heat up. The continuous flow type of hot water system heats water when and as much it is required. These ensure minimal wastage of water. This type of a heating system ensures that the user never runs out of hot water. They are smaller, taking up less space in your household. For those with more number of bathrooms or hot water users in their household, this type of water heating system is ideal as they can have higher flow units.
- Electric: This type of hot water systems can be one of the costlier options for a heating system. The run like a reverse air conditioner, which heats the water and delivers it when required. However, this option of water heaters can be affordable and economical if home owners can make use of money saving tariffs. These types of water heating systems are ideal for small families on budgets as well as larger families, too.
- Solar: These water heating systems can be floor or roof mounted. They heat the water directly in the collectors. While installation costs of these types of water heating systems might be slightly more, the ongoing operational costs are minimal. Often, governments also offer subsidies on solar water heaters and they are an eco-friendlier option than the others.
- Heat pumps: These take the heat from outside, and exchange it with the water inside the tanks. They use mostly the renewable energy such as solar energy to perform the heating task and are thus better suited to warmer climates.
By pre-determining how much hot water your household would require, you can make the right choice in buying a hot water system for you and your family’s needs. You should also look out for the EF rating or the ‘Energy Factor’ rating on your heating unit as this will help you to choose the most energy efficient heating device for your household. Electric heaters are seen to have the highest EF rating out of all the other hot water systems.
