Water heaters are vital for all Alabama homeowners, and choosing the most energy-efficient product is paramount. The water heater installed in your home should accommodate your household and your cooking and cleaning demands. Rising energy costs define how much local utilities charge per kilowatt, and you must choose a water heater that keeps these costs affordable. Read on and find out what the most energy-efficient water heaters are.
Consider How It Will Heat the Water
How your water heater produces determines which system you want. Common choices in Alabama are electricity, geothermal energy, natural gas, and propane. Each option offers energy efficiency but doesn’t guarantee all homeowners the same utility savings.
Start your electricity calculations with the unit price per kilowatt on your Alabama Power or city utility bill. For instance, Alabama Power charges 10.818 cents per kilowatt hour, and a 40-gallon water heater consumes 5.6 kilowatt-hours per adult daily if they take a 10-minute shower.
Multiply the unit price by 5.6 kilowatt-hours, and you will arrive at $0.61 if you round up per person daily or roughly $18.30 per adult in a 30-day period. When choosing the most energy-efficient water heater, you’d use these calculations to find the unit that consumes less electricity and ultimately costs less.
Gas water heaters use about 0.205 therms per hour for a two-person household who shower for ten minutes daily. If the rate per therm is $0.62 daily for a 40-gallon gas water heater operating for two hours, then the average cost is $18.60 per 30-day period.
Review Water Heater Models
The most energy-efficient water heater depends on several factors, and the model you choose is among them. Reviewing all water heater models shows you what to expect from your new water heater and how they determine your energy savings.
Tanked Water Heaters
Choosing the most energy-efficient water heater depends on the model you install and your household size. As you choose a system, consider the calculations above and determine which model consumes the least energy and costs less.
Tanked water heaters range from 40 to 120 gallons and are either gas or electric. The tank fills with water based on your household’s hot water demands. In an electric water heater, a 120 or 240 electrical current flows to the heating element to heat the water.
After the water enters the gas water heater, the thermostat triggers the gas valve, which feeds gas into the combustion chamber via a heat exchanger. An electric heating element uses heated gas to warm the water and arrive at the thermostat’s designated temperature. The tanked water heaters refill with water according to how much hot water your household uses. The tank may refill multiple times if you don’t have the correct size for your home.
If you want a tanked water heater, our plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing can help you calculate the most appropriate size for your home. Households of one to two people need a tanked water heater between 40 and 60 gallons.
If you have up to four people in your household, an 80-gallon water heater should be sufficient. However, a larger household may require at least a 100-gallon water heater. Which water heater is the most energy-efficient depends on what size accommodates your household without consuming higher volumes of energy or increasing costs.
Tankless and Tankless Coil Water Heaters
Traditional tankless water heaters are either electric or gas. They heat water when you turn the hot water knob at your sink or shower. The water heaters heat the water only when needed since there isn’t a tank to store hot water for later. These models are installed in cabinets, basements, and other hidden areas, and you could get a tankless water heater in multiple areas to improve hot water access.
Tankless coil water heaters heat water as it flows through the heat exchanger and heating coil installed in your boiler or furnace. Like traditional tankless water heaters, it heats on demand. Without a tank, these water heaters could provide more energy efficiency since they don’t heat water unless you turn on the faucet.
Heat Pump Water Heaters
Heat pump water heaters work similarly to their heating system counterparts. They pull warm air from surrounding spaces, heat it to a greater temperature, and transfer the hot air to heat water in a tank. Since the water heaters don’t heat cold air and use less power, they are considered more energy efficient than traditional tanked water heaters.
Active solar-powered water heaters are either indirect or direct circulation systems. A flat plate collector sends solar power to the water heater to heat the water in direct circulation systems. These systems are energy savers for areas of Alabama that don’t have freezing temperatures often. Indirect systems use a freeze-resistant fluid like antifreeze inside collectors and heat exchangers, but the fluid never touches the water.
The passive solar models are integral-collector storage or thermosyphon systems. Integral collector storage has a transparent material on the outside storage tank, letting direct sunlight heat the water. Thermosyphon models heat the water in a collector installed on the roof and then send the water to the plumbing system when you turn the hot water on inside the home.
Solar-powered water heaters are energy efficient and reduce the electricity used via local utilities. The speed at which it produces hot water is something to consider to maximize energy savings and avoid inconveniences.
Indirect Water Heaters
Indirect water heaters heat a fluid using your boiler or furnace, which circulates in the storage tank’s heat exchanger. Choosing a well-insulated, energy-efficient furnace or boiler reduces energy consumption and produces hot water more efficiently. You can choose a storage tank size according to your household size and daily hot water usage.
What Water Heater Is the Most Energy-Efficient?
What water heater is the most energy-efficient depends on several important factors. First, all water heaters have an Energy Star rating. Next, the amount of electricity or gas used to produce hot water for your household determines how much savings the water heater generates for your household. Installing the most appropriate size also affects how much energy efficiency and savings you get. Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and access the latest models for your household’s most energy-efficient water heater.