Water heaters are solid systems, and can last quite a while under the right circumstances. Eventually, though, it will wear down to the point that it needs to be replaced. If you’re not sure whether or not your water heater can get you through another winter, read on to find out.
Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Water Heater’
Should I Replace My Water Heater?
Monday, December 19th, 2016When to Install a New Water Heater
Monday, August 15th, 2016Water heaters can last quite a while, if they are properly taken care of. No amount of care will make them last forever, though. Eventually, you will need to replace your water heater with a new one. It’s important that you be able to recognize the signs that you need a new water heater. Otherwise, you may suddenly find yourself without hot water while you scramble to look for a new system. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that you need a new system.
Plumbing FAQ 5 : Tank or Tankless Water Heater?
Friday, May 24th, 2013Are you satisfied with how much hot water you have at your disposal? Are you in the market for a water heater for your new home build? Today, homeowners can enjoy a wide range of brands, sizes, and types of water heaters. People often want to know whether tank or tankless water heaters are superior. Answering this question depends on your hot water needs, your home, as well as your budget. The decision is not as straightforward as it may seem. In today’s post, we’d like to review this FAQ: what are the differences between tank and tankless water heaters? Above all, you need to make sure your new water heater receives professional installation by a qualified plumber. Call Saddleback Plumbing for all of your Irvine plumbing needs.
Let’s break down the question by taking into consideration three factors: energy efficiency, performance, and cost-effectiveness.
- Energy efficiency. A tank water heater operates by heating a large tank of water to a certain temperature and keeping it there until it is used. A tankless water heater operates according to an on-demand principle. It does not keep an entire tank of hot water ready for use because it is able to quickly and efficiently heat water as you need it. Therefore, there is less standby energy loss associated with tankless systems, and they may save you energy in the long term.
- Performance. You need your water heater to perform. As long as it’s properly sized, it should do a fairly good job of meeting your hot water needs. If you have a tank model, you can depend on a large amount of water waiting to be used, but also to be used up. At a certain point, there may not be enough hot water left to take another shower. Tankless models have a virtually endless supply of hot water, but they are often taxed when they need to supply multiple appliances constantly.
- Cost-effectiveness. Generally speaking, tank water heaters are less expensive to purchase and to install than tankless models. While tankless models boast greater energy savings in the long term, their upfront cost is typically more than tank storage models.
We hope this brief guide helps you make a better informed descision, but remember that only consultation from a professional plumber can ultimately match a water heater to your hot water needs. Call Saddleback Plumbing today for comprehensive Irvine plumbing services!
Plumbing Tip: How You Know You Need a New Water Heater
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013We rely heavily upon our water heaters throughout the year. We use them every day to keep ourselves, our laundry and dishes clean. Our lives would be much less pleasant and convenient without them. Because of the amount of wear and tear they endure, water heaters require regular maintenance as well as professional repairs, when necessary. But if your water heater becomes old, or needs frequent repairs, then you may have to consider replacement as an option. But, how do you know? We’ve compiled a few ways to tell that you need a new water heater in this post. However, there’s no substitute for professional, hands-on diagnosis. For comprehensive Irvine CA plumbing services, call Saddleback Plumbing today!
- Old age. If your water heater is old, and doesn’t heat the water as well as it once did, then it might be a good time to consider replacement. It’s best to speak to your local plumber about your options because such assessments truly need to be made in person.
- Brown water. If your hot water looks rusty or brown, then you may have a serious rust problem in your water heater. While tank storage water heaters are equipped with a sacrificial anode rod to keep the electrolysis deterioration at bay, when this fully erodes, the water within your tank can begin to oxidize your tank lining. This often requires replacement.
- Frequent repairs. Today’s water heaters, both tank and tankless models, are much more energy efficient than those of made just a decade before. If you spend a lot of time repairing your water heater, then you may be bolstering an obsolete inefficient system. Make sure that you’re making the right investment in the future of your home comfort. It may make more financial sense to purchase a new water heater that will operate more efficiently and effectively than your old model.
Make sure you speak with your local plumber today about whether a water heater replacement is right for you. For comprehensive plumbing services, call Saddleback Plumbing today!
Heating FAQ 1: Heating Options
Monday, January 14th, 2013While Orange County isn’t known for its extreme cold temperatures, if you’ve lived here for a winter you know that there are a few months where a good heating system is critical to your comfort. If you’re looking to install a new heating system, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind. Putting in a new heating system offers homeowners some exciting benefits. But any changes to your home should be thoroughly analyzed so that you have all of the information available to you. Saddleback Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning offers comprehensive heating services in Irvine, CA. We wanted to give our customers some ideas about what they should think about as they move forward with the heating installation process.
Heating Replacement and Installation Benefits in Irvine
To get us started, here is a quick list of some of the benefits to replacing your heating system.
- Greater efficiency – New furnaces, boilers and heat pumps typically offer a huge efficiency upgrade to homeowners in Irvine.
- Safety – New furnaces and boilers have some very important safety features on them that old systems may not have.
- Comfort and reliability – With a new heating system, you will likely receive more reliable and comfortable heat in your home.
Heating Options
One of the first things that you should think about when replacing your heating system is fuel. The gas vs. electric heating debate rages on but at Saddleback, we can work with either fuel source. Depending on where you live, the cost for each fuel could vary wildly. But in general, natural gas is cheaper to buy and with modern technology it is a fairly clean fuel. With electricity, you get more efficiency but it typically costs more to heat your home with those types of heaters.
At Saddleback Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Heating, we can install a variety of different systems. If you have ducts in your home, we can replace your furnace or heat pump very easily. But if you’re interested in going to a radiant heating system, like a hydronic boiler, baseboard or floor system, we can do that too. Radiant heating systems are known to provide very comfortable heat because they actually heat the objects in the room instead of just heating the air.
Water Heating Options in Irvine
Another important heating consideration is replacing your water heater. If you’re tired of taking cold showers, replacing your water heater might make sense. Tankless water heaters are typically great for small households while tank water heaters are preferable for larger households that have large hot water demands. Multiple tankless water heaters are normally required for homes with large demand.
If you have any questions about water heater replacement or heating replacement in Irvine, call Saddleback today. Our friendly and highly trained technicians have experience working on all types and brands of heating systems and water heaters. Call us today.
Plumbing Tip : New Features to Consider Before Buying a Tankless Water Heaters
Monday, November 12th, 2012Are you considering buying a new tankless water heater for your home? Our plumbers can help you choose the right model, and we’ll make sure you get the right size and install it for you. If you’re considering a tankless new water heater or if you’re looking for ways to reduce your energy consumption, here are some things to consider:
Energy Use
There are two basic types of water heaters: traditional storage tank and tankless. Tank water heaters use a large tank of water that’s kept hot all the time by an electric or gas burner. As the hot water is consumed, more water fills the tank. Tankless water heaters convert cold water to hot water as the water is being used. In terms of energy consumption, tank-style heaters consume energy to maintain a large supply of hot water throughout the day, even if it’s not being used. Tankless heaters consume energy in short bursts, so you’ll want to take that into consideration.
Flow Rate
The other consideration is flow rate. Tankless units vary in their ability to produce hot water on demand. The amount of hot water they produce is measured in gallons per minute. Deciding which size tankless unit is correct for your home should be based on your family’s typical hot water needs. For 1 to 2 bathroom homes, look for models that can deliver at least delivers 3.4 gallons per minute. A shower and a dishwasher each consume about two gallons of water per minute. So for a tankless unit to comfortably serve both with a little to spare would probably require a capacity of five gallons per minute.
Size and First Hour Rating
All water heaters, whether traditional tank models, tankless, or hybrid, have different hot water delivery capacities. A water heater’s capacity is measured by its First Hour Rating (FHR), which is the number of gallons of hot water it delivers in an hour. Getting a heater with a low FHR could mean taking cold showers. Getting one that’s too large could mean you’re wasting energy.
When thinking a new water heater, first think about how much hot water is used in your home each day. Secondly, call the folks at Saddleback Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning. Our staff would be glad to help you calculate which size tankless unit is right for your home.
Your HVAC System and Electricity: A Guide From Aliso Viejo
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011While not every HVAC system in your Aliso Viejo home requires electricity, many of them do. Your air conditioner, electric furnace or water heater and ventilation system all need access to the central power line. So what does that mean for your system and what problems should be you beware of?
How Your HVAC System Uses Electricity
How your HVAC system works depends largely on which components need electricity to operate. Here is a quick summary of how each system uses electricity:
- Air Conditioning – Most air conditioners are electric and therefore use electricity based on the number of BTUs produced. For example, if your air conditioner produces 25,000 BTUs and has a SEER of 16, it can produce 16 BTUs for every watt of electricity consumed per hour. As a result, it consumes 1,562.5 watts per hour when the system is running at maximum capacity. If it runs at full capacity for 8 hours per day, 30 days a month in the summer, that’s 375 kilowatt hours – which is the measurement unit you’ll see on your electric bill.
- Heating – Your heating system may not use electricity, as many homes today use gas or oil combustion furnaces or boilers to produce heat. However, if you have an electric furnace, that electric power is used to heat the filament in the furnace. Electricity also powers the blower fan motor which pushes air across the filament and into the air handler. An electric furnace sized to heat a 1500 square foot home can use up to 8,000 watts per hour to produce enough heat for your home. That converts to roughly 5,000 kilowatt hours per month. The current price of electricity will determine how much this actually costs, you but it can really add up quickly.
- Ventilation – Your ventilation system is almost always going to use electricity to circulate and filter air. While mechanical filters rely on the movement of air to remove certain particles, ventilation systems have a variety of components including fans and possibly even condenser coils to conserve energy as air is exchanged between the inside and outside.
Electricity plays an important role in your HVAC system no matter how your system works. To ensure yours continues to operate as intended, have your power system checked on a regular basis when the rest of your HVAC system is serviced.