When you get a new water heater, one of the most important things you have to decide is whether you want an electric or gas hot water heater. If your home already has a gas line, you could use a gas heater. If not, putting in a gas line can add a lot of money to the cost. There are some good things about a gas model and a few bad things to think about.
1. Gas heaters for water
Gas Water Heaters Heat Water Faster Than Electric Water Heaters Gas water heaters heat water about twice as fast as electric models. An electric heater might take an hour to heat 100 litres of water, but a gas heater can heat a 200-liter tank in the same amount of time. This makes it less likely that you won't have enough hot water. Most of the time, a gas heater is better for larger families than an electric one because electric water heaters may not be able to keep up with the high demand for hot water.
2. Costs of energy are generally lower
Even though natural gas heaters lose heat through the walls of the tank and the exhaust gases, electric heaters use less energy. However, electricity is more expensive than natural gas. This makes gas heaters cheaper to run because they use less energy, which more than makes up for the heat loss.
3. Don't lose hot water when the power goes out
Even if the power goes out, gas water heaters that use a pilot light instead of an electric spark will still work. Homeowners in Australia are used to power outages, so being able to have hot water even when the power is out can be a big benefit.
4. Gas water heaters have some problems, though
Even though your energy bills might be lower with a gas water heater, they cost more up front and are harder to instal and maintain. Even though gas water heaters cost more up front, most of them pay for themselves in a year if they are well taken care of.
Get help from a professional
If you still can't figure out what's best for you, talk to plumbers you know and trust for advice. They can give you a more detailed estimate of the costs and requirements for installation based on your home and your needs.
When you might not want a gas water heater
Most of the time, a natural gas water heater is the cheapest and most reliable way to heat your water. A natural gas water heater is usually a worry-free appliance if you live in an area where natural gas is piped into your home. But if you don't have access to natural gas and still want to use gas to heat your water, you'll have to get propane delivered. You will need to make sure that propane is delivered regularly, or you may not have hot water. In this case, an electric water heater may give you more peace of mind because you will always have hot water as long as you pay your electric bill.
