All About Hot Water Heaters
By: Taylor Phillip | Posted: 08th May 2009
Have you noticed a pile of water lying around your hot water tank recently? You might have a leak, or perhaps the water pressure release valve has opened itself. The water pressure release valve is a system where if too much steam pressure builds up inside of hot water tank water will run out of it onto the floor. This keeps your hot water tank from being damaged.
However, hot water tanks do get leaks from time to time. This is more prevalent when they are stored in a dark, damp basement. A good way to see if your hot water tank has sprung a leak is to check and see if there is any rust on the bottom of the tank. Rust is a good indicator that you have sprung a leak.
Electric hot water tanks have heating elements that go bad after a period of years. If you find yourself without hot water, and your electricity is still on, your heating element has probably gone bad. They can be replaced, but mot of the time it is better to just replace the tank itself.
Propane hot water tanks need to have a ventilation system that safely removes the dangerous carbon monoxide fumes from your home. If this ventilation system were to obtain leaks, the carbon monoxide would rise from the basement and fill your home with fumes. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous, odorless gas that can kill. You should inspect your ventilation system from time to time. If you find rust through holes, have the ventilation system replaced as soon as possible.
I don't really have an opinion on which is better between both Propane and electric hot water tanks. Both types of tanks have advantages and disadvantages. Propane tanks heat the water quicker, but it needs to be ventilated. Electric tanks are easier to store, but they use more energy.
An electric hot water tank will raise your electric bill, but a propane hot water tank will raise your propane bill. With a propane tank, you will still have hot water if there is a power outage. With an electric tank, you will still have hot water if you run out of gas.
There are many different sizes of tanks, and the size you get should correlate to the size of your family. If you are a single person with a large tank, you are wasting energy and money. If you have a large family and a small electric hot water tank, you have probably had to take a cold shower once or twice.
There is a different type of hot water heater that I haven't discussed, a solar powered hot water heater. These types of heaters are designed to be supplemental to your gas or electric powered hot water tank. How it works is, water is pumped to a heating unit usually stored on your roof where it is heated and piped to your tank.
Both electric and gas powered hot water tanks last an average of 8-10 years, however some have been known to last much longer.
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Tags: leaks, heating elements, power outage, rust, carbon monoxide, tank water, water pressure, ventilation system, heating element, odorless gas, damp basement, propane tanks, propane tank, steam pressure, hot water tanks, hot water tank