Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Water Heaters’ Category

Tankless vs. Storage Water Heater: Which Is Right for My Home?

Friday, September 5th, 2014

You use hot water for many of the things you need to do every day, such as showering and washing dishes. So when you need a new water heater, you want to make sure that your new system can accommodate your needs. While many homes have water heaters that use large tanks to keep a supply of hot water available, tankless water heaters are rising in popularity recently due to environmental concerns and the money-saving benefits. But is a tankless water heater right for you?

We’ll Compare Both Types of Water Heaters in This Short Guide

Storage Tank Water Heater

A storage tank water heater works under the principle that heat naturally rises. Water enters the tank through a dip tube that feeds all the way to the bottom of the tank. With gas-powered storage tank heaters, there is a gas burner at the bottom of the tank that heats water. In an electric water heater, an electric heating element accomplishes the same. Water then moves naturally from the bottom of your tank to the top as hot water rises over the denser cold water, and flows to your faucet through the pipe that sits at the top of the tank. This type of system may cost more to run as a lot of energy is lost keeping water hot at all times.

Tankless Water Heater

A tankless water heater, on the other hand, does not rely on a tank because water does not need to be heated at all times. Instead, the heating element is activated as soon as a hot water tap is turned on. Water is instantly heated before flowing to your faucet. This eliminates the standby energy loss associated with storage tank heaters. Additionally, many people appreciate the smaller size of the tankless water heater over the bulky storage tank.

So which wins for your home? This all depends on your individual needs. A tankless water heater may use less energy to heat water, but it may not be able to handle demands from multiple taps. You may need to install multiple tankless heaters to make up for this deficiency. However, the energy savings may offset this cost over time. If you want to know which type of unit is best for you, call the experts at Sound Heating and ask about installing tankless water heaters in Gig Harbor.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on Tankless vs. Storage Water Heater: Which Is Right for My Home?

How Tankless Water Heaters Work

Friday, August 22nd, 2014

We use hot water for a variety of tasks around the house, but we rarely think about where it comes from. If you’re a homeowner, you may be used to seeing storage tank water heaters, which use a large tank to heat water and store it so that it is available at any time. But tankless water heaters have grown in popularity over the years thanks to their ability to heat water quickly and efficiently. So how can a unit heat water instantly without the use of a tank?

A tankless water heater is a “green” alternative to storage tanks that can help you save money over the years and may last longer than conventional units. Curious about how they work? In order to understand tankless water heaters, let’s a take a look at how standard units heat and store hot water.

Storage tank water heaters store water in a large tank to use whenever it is needed. First, cold water enters through a tube that leads to the bottom of the tank. Then a heating mechanism—either a gas-powered burner or an electric-powered heating element—heats the water, which rises to the top of the tank since hot water naturally rises above the denser, colder water. A tube sits at the top of the tank to supply hot water to the home, and cold water continues to cycle in as a replacement.

The problem with storage tank water heaters is the standby energy loss associated with continuously heating standing water. With a tankless heater, water is heated instantly to eliminate this loss. Tankless water heaters simply work through the use of a heat exchange system. Electric coils or gas activate to generate heat as soon as a hot water tap is turned on in the house so that hot water can immediately reach the faucet. Tankless water heaters may not be able to handle multiple jobs at once, so some homes may have several tankless water heaters, each mounted near the tap that activates it.

Want to know if this system is right for your home? Call Sound Heating for more information about tankless water heaters in Gig Harbor!

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on How Tankless Water Heaters Work

What Are the Advantages of Installing a Tankless Water Heater?

Friday, June 20th, 2014

The old-fashioned style of water heater that uses a large tank of water to which heat from natural gas or electric heating elements is continually applied is so… old fashioned. There’s a new way to provide hot water for your home that removes the tank and gives you many advantages to take its place: the tankless water heater.

There are many reasons you should consider a tankless water heater in Kent, WA for your next installation. If you need more advice about going this route, talk to Sound Heating today. We install top-brand Rinnai tankless water heaters, which can fit a variety of household sizes and budgets. Call our specialists today to find out more about the tankless water heater edge.

The main advantages of a tankless water heater

  • Never run out of hot water: If someone going with a lukewarm or cold shower in the morning is a common occurrence in your household, then you should consider a tankless system. Because a tankless water heater only heats up water when it’s needed (a reason they are sometimes called “on-demand” water heaters), you never have to worry about running out of your supply of hot water. As soon as a tap turns, the heat exchanger in the system goes to work warming the water.
  • Save energy: A standard storage water heater must apply constant energy to the tank to maintain the necessary 120° –140° water temperature. It uses this energy whether you need the water or not. With a tankless system, you only use energy when you turn on a tap indicating that you need hot water. You’ll end up using only a fraction of the energy necessary for a storage system, and you can expect your heating bills to decrease by 20–35%.
  • Longer system lifespan: Less energy used to heat water also means a system with less wear and tear placed on it. Tankless systems can last many more years than a storage system, and that means you’ll have more years to earn savings on your initial investment.
  • Save space: Because storage systems need to use a large water tank, they take up far more space than a tankless system, which are often small enough to mount on a wall. Some can even go outside with and anti-freeze kit.

There are a few drawbacks to tankless systems: they cost more to install upfront than storage systems, and your level of savings will depend on the amount of water your household uses regularly. Consult with experts to find out if a tankless water heater in Kent, WA is the right choice for your home. Our team at Sound Heating is ready to help you, and we will install your new system so it works for many years.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on What Are the Advantages of Installing a Tankless Water Heater?

Water Heater Guide: Sizing a Tankless Water Heater

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Tankless water heaters are gaining popularity among Sammamish homeowners because of their on demand hot water supply and space-saving design. Although they are more expensive than traditional tank water heaters, on demand water heaters are more efficient, reliable, and easier to install and maintain. Before choosing to install a tankless water heater, however, you will have to decide which size will meet your hot water needs.

Rather than storing hot water in a tank, the tankless models heat the water with individual units located near the application where hot water is needed, such as a shower or washing machine. For larger homes, some of these smaller units cannot heat enough water for several applications running at the same time. You can also install a single tankless water heater for the entire house, or separate ones for appliances that use more hot water.

Finding the proper size and type will depend on the flow rate—measured  by a GPM (gallons per minute) number—that each fixture needs. Every application has a standard flow rate that must be added up in order to calculate the hot water demands for your entire home. For instance, if someone is using a sink with a 1.5 GPM at the same time another person is running a shower with a 2.0 GPM, the flow rate for the tankless unit would need to be at least 3.5 gallons per minute. You will have to add up the flow rate for all the applications in the house to get the minimum GPM figure for your tankless water heater.

In addition to flow rates, tankless hot water heaters are also measured by how much the water temperature needs to rise as it moves through the heating unit. You can determine the temperature rise for each application by subtracting the temperature of water coming in from the desired temperature going out. Once you add those together with the overall flow rates, you will know which tankless water heater can handle your overall hot water needs.

Before you buy an on demand hot water heater, it is best to talk to a professional installer. While the flow rates and temperature rise for most household appliances are fairly standard, these numbers can vary because of several factors that professionals are trained to calculate. Size is not the only factor to consider when shopping for a tankless water heater. Fuel type and efficiency should also be factored in to your purchase, which is another reason to talk to a licensed Sammamish installer.

Continue Reading

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on Water Heater Guide: Sizing a Tankless Water Heater