Using and Maintaining HVAC Systems in Rental Properties

Do You Really Need To Replace Your Electric Hot Water Heater With A Gas One?

When you purchase a home with an electric water heater, your home inspector, along with your friends, may recommend that you replace it with a gas water heater. Gas water heaters, it is often said, are more efficient; making the change will save you money. While this is true for many people, it's not true for everyone. Make sure you consider the factors below to decide whether replacing that electric hot water heater is actually a wise choice for you.

If only one or two people live in the home, you probably won't save much by switching to gas.

Unless you take several showers per day, one or two people don't use very much water. Thus, the difference in cost of running an electric hot water heater versus a gas is not likely to be very large. In homes with larger families, however, more water tends to be used. Thus, the the difference in cost of running the two types of water heaters will be larger.

Installing a timer on the water heater is another way to reduce costs.

Most people use their hot water in the morning, and then again at night when they return home from work. If you install a timer on your electric hot water heater, you can program it so that it only heats up when you're using it, thus saving electricity. Buying a timer is a lot cheaper than buying an entirely new gas water heater. It will take you fewer months to recoup the cost through energy savings if you buy a timer rather than an entirely new heater.

If your hot water heater is well insulated, it may not use much electricity anyways.

If your basement is relatively warm and your tank is well insulated, it won't necessarily take that much electricity to keep the water hot. Wait to get your first water bill before you decide whether you should change to a gas water heater. if your water bill is just a bit higher than you'd like, you can likely have additional insulation installed around your heater, lowering your bill in the future.

While switching to a gas water heater may result in less money spent on keeping your water hot, you don't necessarily need to buy a new heater in order to keep your energy bills in check. If you insulate it well, minimize your water use, and install a timer, an electric hot water heater, like those from Wright Total Indoor Comfort, can be pretty efficient, after all.


Share