Best Water Heaters

Selecting the best water heater to suit you How do you decide which is the best water heater for your needs? There are many factors to consider such as the size of your family and what other appliances the hot water may be needed for. Many water heaters are built to a similar specification so getting an average one is easy but getting a really good one requires a little knowledge on your part.

In some cases, buying a specific tank configuration and upgrading the components and be another good option and in some cases may give you a higher quality water heater than you could purchase from stock. And you may also end up spending less as well!

Any water heater which comes with a magnesium hex head anode which is exposed is a good idea as this will allow for any inspections to be a great deal easier as the exposed hex head can be easily removed.

Another thing worth noting is the insulation ratings. If you see the common rating of R-16, this means that jacket the insulating jacket around the tank is 2 inches thick. Many of the electric water heaters come with an insulation rating of R-14 which is also adequate.

To prolong the life of any water heater, be sure to know when it was made and who it was made by. And make a note of where it is installed and the model number so that you can give this information to anyone who arrives to service the water heater. In gas heaters, the combustion chambers will also need to be checked regularly but only if your model of heater has them. In electric heaters, components that should be checked regularly include temperature pressure valve and the element ports. Also keep an eye on the recirculation pump.

It is also very easy to get overwhelmed by the many various types of water heater that you may see for sale. Most of the types do indeed sound like marketing ‘buzz’ names such as ‘electric tankless ’ and ‘natural gas tankless’. Other terms you may hear are ‘high efficiency’, ‘instant hot water’ and ‘hot water on demand’.

These are terms which are covered here on this site and you can read more about them.