It’s time for a new hot water tank? This is something that tends to worry many homeowners; hot water tanks are a large expense and they often come at inopportune times. If you know that your hot water tank is quite old, say over 12 years, it may be a good time to think about swapping it out for a new one. If you haven’t been shopping for a hot water heater for a long time you may be surprised at the choices now available.
Electric, natural gas or tankless?
One of the most important things to think about in the beginning is what kind of hot water tank do you have existing in your home or small business right now. Electric, natural gas or tankless? Electric tanks are generally the least expensive but they also have the shortest lifespan; anything over 10 years is pushing it. Quite often, repairs to these tanks are very pricey and more often than not it is recommended to buy a new tank as opposed to fixing the old one. The good news is they are generally relatively quick to install and not bank breaking. Most residential homes in Oshawa do not have electric hot water tanks but small businesses often do.
Capacity
Capacity is also a very important thing to think about. Depending on the size of your family and the size of your home, you may choose to go with a larger than average capacity hot water tank so that you are not running out of hot water all the time. Tankless hot water systems are gaining in popularity in Oshawa, but are definitely a larger expense up front, but can be quite water-saving in the future as they only heat up water as you need it on demand as opposed to continuously keeping the water hot in a tank.
Warranty
A good quality hot water tank will come with a decent warranty, and we have found that good name brand tanks rarely break down. Plumbing code in Oshawa does require a mixing valve on all hot water tanks to prevent any scalding hot water from coming out of your taps and burning you, while ensuring the water in the tank is kept hot enough to avoid any bacteria growth. Unfortunately, these can be pricey to repair and unfortunately are notorious for breaking down often. A mixing valve will rarely last the lifetime of your tank and will generally have to replace it at least once.
John the plumber Oshawa is your hot water tank specialist!
