When Might You Consider a Different Type Of Water Heater Replacement? | Bloomington, IL

When-Might-You-Consider-a-Different-Type-Of-Water-Heater-Replacement--_-Bloomington,-IL
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For many homeowners and property owners, water heater replacement happens every 10-15 years or so and is pretty straightforward. It’s either an emergency water heater replacement with whatever is readily available to replace a failed unit or a planned swap with another unit of the same basic type. After another decade or so passes, the same process repeats. In recent years, more ways to improve energy efficiency in basic water heater models have become available, and also some distinctly different water heater options that offer energy savings, an extended hot water supply, and other advantages. At Covenant Plumbing, we can help our customers in Bloomington, IL with questions about what’s available, what advantages each water heater replacement type offers, and what drawbacks might affect their decision. We’re here for our customers for the long term, and we can make being an informed homeowner an easier job for everyone.

Gas or Electric Water Heater Replacement

If your home has an electric water heater, you could save on your energy costs with a gas-based unit. Since heating your home’s hot water supply is usually a significant portion of your home’s energy budget, that can be worth evaluating as an option. Electric hot water heaters are often the default because they’re fairly universal, simply connecting to your home’s plumbing and power panel. With gas, there are some changes to the installation and maintenance to consider, with savings eventually covering the costs in the future for many households.

Hybrid Water Heater Replacement

If you’re comfortable with your supply of hot water from a tank-based unit, you can reduce your energy costs by switching to another electric-based option, the hybrid unit. While these typically include a resistive heater like the ones your basic electric model depends on, the main heating mechanism is a compressor-based heat pump, and the electricity drawn operates the compressor and control electronics, which take a lot less power. The heat itself gets extracted from the air, usually from nearby in the basement or other installation location, so this unit needs a bit more space for the heating equipment as well as the tank.

Hybrid or Standard Water Heater in an Unheated Basement

In some cases, your hybrid water heater replacement will do a great job during three seasons, but during the winter it will have to fall back to regular electric heating if your basement gets too cold. A standard electric or gas model in an unheated basement, assuming it’s safe from freezing, still loses a lot of energy from the tank and pipes to the surrounding air. Our water heater replacement team can also provide proper insulation to keep your energy investment in the unit and pipes and on its way up to your shower and other uses. For tankless units, there’s a lot less exposure to the unit and pipes.

Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Tankless systems can use gas or electric energy, although the electric models can cost more to operate, they have a somewhat simpler mechanism. Modern tankless units use an electronic control board to manage the sensors that start and stop heating based on water flow and provide other functions such as vent monitoring. With gas as your energy source, the unit will manage heating element ignition as well. Tankless units aren’t just about energy costs, although they do save a lot by not keeping forty gallons or more at temperature all the time. Tankless provides a steady flow of hot water which, as long as you don’t draw more than the volume it provides, will keep you in hot showers even if you have a huge family waiting for their turns.

Factors to Consider When Replacing Your Water Heater with a Different Type

If you choose a different fuel type for your new water heater, it will be important to arrange the proper connections. It may be fairly simple if your heating system uses the same fuel, hooking both up to your gas lines for example. You’ll also need related connections such as vents to meet code and safety needs. Each type has different space requirements, with standard and hybrid taking a similar amount of space with their tank, a bit more for a hybrid to allow for airflow and heat pump space. Tankless water heaters don’t need all that space.

Planning Ahead for Your Replacement

Hopefully, with information from our maintenance team, you can plan your replacement without having to respond to a leak or, occasionally, a burst tank. If it’s a direct replacement, our well-orchestrated water heater experts can drain, detach, remove, and replace before you know it. When you select a different energy source or type of unit, we can do a lot of the prep work and plan ahead, making the switchover, though a bit more complex, as easy as possible. Our water heater experts have performed so many replacements, we’ve covered the contingencies and solve the installation puzzles for other homeowners in the area many times, and we’ll take good care of your installation as well.

Water Heater Replacement in Bloomington, IL Can Be Straightforward and Efficient

When you have our Covenant Plumbing team maintaining your water heater in Bloomington, IL, and the surrounding area, you have a big advantage: we can keep you updated about the state of your unit, so you know when it’s prudent to plan a replacement. When you have that information, you can decide what kind of unit is right for you, and work with us to plan a water heater replacement. For a similar unit, we can provide a quick, efficient swap that fits your schedule, and if you decide on a different fuel or heater type, we can make the plans and get work underway to minimize the effects of the switchover when the time comes. Give us a call for maintenance on your current unit and to plan a timely replacement that will serve you well for the next decade or more.

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