WATER HEATER REPAIR & SERVICE

A water heater can impact your life more than you realize. You probably know what it’s like to be in the middle of taking a shower, hair covered with shampoo, and all of the sudden the water turns freezing cold. If you have a large family or several roommates living under one roof, some of you may even have to schedule showers around the hot water supply. Your water heater can also affect your utility bills and even your home storage. (“I want to use this space in my laundry room, but there is a giant water heater located there”).

Tankless water heaters are smaller, so they require less space in your home. You can even install a tankless unit on your outside wall. Installation can be more difficult for a tankless water heater, as you may need to upgrade your home’s electrical system to support an electric tankless unit, or you may need to run a dedicated gas line to your gas-powered unit. Depending on the type of unit, you may also need to consider other items like new exhaust vents or condensate discharge lines.

Tankless water heaters heat your home’s water on demand using gas or electric. Although they heat water on demand, they do have output limits on their flow rate. This means, if you’re running the dishwasher, doing the laundry, and taking a shower simultaneously, your heater may not be able to produce hot water fast enough. The flow rates for tankless water heaters are measured in gallons per minute. A unit should be sized according to your hot water demand to ensure adequate flow is met.

Tank water heaters (or traditional water heaters) are relatively easy to install, and installation typically only takes a few hours. You generally have to install a tank water heater indoors as they cannot tolerate outdoor weather conditions. People often choose inconspicuous locations like closets or garages to install them. The tanks come in electric, natural gas and propane models. The gas models will still work during a power outage.

If you have a timeline or budget constraints that prevent you from getting a tankless system, a tank heater may be the way to go. If your home runs strictly on electricity, you have to carefully consider whether going tankless is really worth it. The average household electric panel capacity is around 200 amps, which may or may not be enough to support a tankless electric heater, consulting with an electrician is recommended. If you have gas, you will need to factor in the costs of venting systems and possibly up-sizing an existing gas line.

Whether you choose a tank style or tankless, Kowality Plumbing can handle your water heater needs. We install and service all major brands of water heaters, including but not limited to:

• Rheem
• Rinnai
• General Electric
• A.O. Smith
• Bradford White
• Nortwitz
• Whirlpool