{"id":6032,"date":"2014-05-19T06:17:18","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T13:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/?p=6032"},"modified":"2014-05-14T09:18:21","modified_gmt":"2014-05-14T16:18:21","slug":"youre-in-hot-water-a-guide-to-buying-water-heaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/youre-in-hot-water-a-guide-to-buying-water-heaters\/","title":{"rendered":"You&#8217;re in Hot Water! A Guide to Buying Water Heaters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ahh, hot water\u2026 one of those little conveniences that\u2019s oh-so-easy to take for granted. Thanks to that rarely seen workhorse &#8211; the water heater &#8211; all we need to do to enjoy a warm shower is turn on a faucet. When Mr Water Heater isn\u2019t working properly, however, we become suddenly and intimately acquainted with him and his importance to our daily comfort and convenience.<\/p>\n<p>When your water isn\u2019t consistently as hot as you want or there\u2019s leaking at the base of its tank, it\u2019s likely time to replace your water heater. If you\u2019re particularly proactive &#8211; even if it seems to be working fine but is over 10 years old &#8211; replacement is something to consider to avoid the inconvenience and potential damage caused by\u00a0a failed water heater.<\/p>\n<p>Since water heaters are purchased infrequently, it\u2019s wise to review the options when choosing a new one. Usually, you\u2019ll\u00a0replace your\u00a0water heater with a new version of \u00a0the existing one, probably\u00a0a storage-tank style that&#8217;s gas-fueled or electric-powered. Even so, there are new features available so let\u2019s review the important ones:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Capacity &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>The average daily hot water usage for a household of two to four people is 80-85 gallons &#8211; so you want to make certain that the unit you choose will be able to keep up with your demand. When considering storage-tank style water heaters, compare the \u201cfirst-hour rating\u201d (FHR) to determine if it can heat enough water when usage is concentrated, such as during the morning rush to get ready for the day.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Size &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Recent federal manufacturing standards are such that traditional storage-tank water heaters must now be better-insulated. This increased insulation makes new heaters four inches wider than previous versions of the same size. Take this factor into consideration if your water heater has space constraints.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Glass Lining &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Corrosion is the enemy of a water heater\u2019s interior. Look for one with a glass-lined tank; this lining creates a barrier between the water and the steel body of the tank, protecting it from corrosion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Warranty &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>The length of the warranty can tell you a lot about the quality of a unit. Water heater warranties cover between three and twelve years. Generally speaking, longer warranties are offered on higher quality models which have desirable features such as larger heating elements, or burners, (for speedier water heating) and thicker insulation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Alternatives to traditional tank-style water heaters, include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hybrid electric<\/strong> are tank-style electric heaters which include a heat pump that utilizes ambient air to help heat water. They initially cost more than a traditional electric heater, but it\u2019s quickly offset by cheaper operation. Due to the way they work, they make your home colder by taking in warmth from the air to use in heating water and by exhausting cool air. An additional downside is its height (up to\u00a07 ft.) and space requirements (up to 1,000 cubic feet) to capture sufficient heat from the air.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tankless (instantaneous)<\/strong>\u00a0units heat water on demand. They\u2019re the size of a suitcase and operate using an electric coil or natural gas to heat water passing through a heat exchanger. They only heat water when it\u2019s needed &#8211; which saves energy &#8211; but that also significantly limits the amount of hot water available at any one time. Consult its &#8220;gallons-per-minute&#8221; rating (GPM) to determine if can meet your household\u2019s needs. There\u2019s no tank to corrode or leak but, on the downside, they\u2019re costly to buy and install.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t think of water heaters until they aren\u2019t doing their job. Getting a high quality unit\u00a0with a good warranty will help assure that yours will keep you in hot water for a long time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ahh, hot water\u2026 one of those little conveniences that\u2019s oh-so-easy to take for granted. Thanks to that rarely seen workhorse &#8211; the water heater &#8211; all we need to do to enjoy a warm shower is turn on a faucet. When Mr Water Heater isn\u2019t working properly, however, we become suddenly and intimately acquainted with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[44,510],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}