Not sure what water heater option is best for your home? Below are three common options for most homeowners to choose from to ensure you get hot water when needed.

Image Credit: Aaron Doering

Tankless Options

We all have been in a home or at a hotel where we had a cold shower because the water heater “ran out of water.” How can these experiences be remedied? One popular option that we are seeing more of in the United States is the tankless water heater. A tankless water heater heats water only as it is needs. This provides the opportunity to reduce utility costs while also never running out of water. Another feature is that they take up much less space and can be vented easily with PVC piping. While they can be more expensive, the return on investment is usually much greater than the traditional tank models.

Traditional Tank Models

Most homeowners have the traditional tank model, where it heats the water in a holding tank. Models come in various sizes depending on how many people live in your home and you can also decide if you would like an electric or gas model. An electric model does not have to be vented, whereas your gas model does.

Hybrid Models

Hybrid models are another recent addition to the market. They work by using features of both the tankless and traditional tank models. Activated by either flow (tankless) or by thermostat (tank), hybrids heat a small amount of water immediately in a small storage tank so that it only needs to increase the water temperature from warm to hot, rather than cold to hot. The footprint is usually less than the traditional tank models and according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Consumers who switch to hybrid electric water heaters with heat pump technology save on average $250 in electric utility bills.