What kind of Energy Efficient Water heater options are out there?

by Water Heaters on August 2, 2010

My water heater is probably on it’s last leg. i want to be prepared to replace it when it goes out, or even make a preemptive strike. What are the good options out there. What can I expect to pay? I remember hearing about Microwave water heaters that heat on demand. is there a good affordable technology out there yet?


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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

lewis n 5 years old I'm 75 August 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm

Electric, you have heated water when you need it. No gas running 24 hrs. No electric running 24 hours. It works, my neighbor was the first to have it in our neighbor hood. It works, and has so far saved them money. It will pay for it’s self quickly, they are thrilled with it. Hoyakins.

Mark G August 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm

Tankless is a great option. Depending where you live, solar (or a combination of the two) might be even better. Both options are significantly more expensive initially than traditional water heaters, but have great energy savings and qualify for federal energy tax credits.

cronos51101 August 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm

i would say go for a tankless water heater, get a natural gas one if you can because natrual gas is always better than electric, cheaper too. the tankless ones are nice because you will never run out of hot water, and they are more efficient because they don’t have to keep 50 gallons of water hot all of the time. the cost more at first, but they give you great results, and lower energy costs.

car dude August 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm

depending on how you heat your home, you might be able to tie it in with the boiler, if you have one. here in CT. many of us have oil or gas fired hot water heat. i will be having an indirect hot water heater installed this week, to replace my old electric hot water heater. basically it’s free hot water for at least half the year, a by product of heating the house. it is a coil of tubing inside a hot water tank that has heated water from my heating system running through it to heat the water in the tank. i have been checking this subject out for the past week, fuel oil would have to cost about $5.00 a gallon for it to be cheaper for me to continue to heat my hot water with electricity. the initial cost for the tank and hooking it up will be more than just replacing it with another electric one, but the savings will pay that back pretty quickly. also, the newer electric units have larger elements in them and require a wiring upgrade so there is the savings on an electrician and materials too. so even though the indirect tank will cost me twice as much as an electric heater, the needed upgrades bring the actual price closer to 2/3-3/4′s of the new system. there are also tank less units that are just a coil that mounts in your furnace or boiler, provided that they can be retrofitted for this option. your best bet would be to check with your heating and cooling contractor, to see what your system can do for you. unfortunately the oil tank is in need of replacement too, so we’re biting the bullet and replaceing our entire heating system too. good luck, hope this helps.

Tom-SJ August 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm

Solar hot water heating.

Depending on where you live, how many panels you install and whether you use an open (water-filled) or closed (anti-freeze) system, you can cut your gas bills down to a few $ per month for 6 to 12 months each and every year.

A closed loop system for a 3-4 person family would cost about $2500 (parts only), while an open loop drainback system costs about $2000.

This assumes you retain your existing gas or electric water heater, in good working condition.

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