Should You Repair or Replace Your Water Heater?

Your water heater is one piece of equipment that you seldom think about. As long as you have hot water for your shower and there are no leaks, there should be no reason to give the water heater a lot of thought. However, there will come a time when your water heater isn’t getting the job done.

If your water heater is less than 10 years old, and not working exactly as it should, repairing (or even doing a bit of maintenance) may help you get a few more years from the appliance.

If your water heater is more than 15 years old, even if it is working fine, it is time to start thinking about replacing the unit.

What is the best type of water heater?

Conventional Storage Tank Water Heaters

Storage tanks are the most common type of water heater and for good reason too. Almost half of the homes across the US use gas-heated storage tank heaters. There are also electric storage water heaters too.

Natural gas water heaters usually use less energy and cost less to run than electric water heaters, although gas models do tend to cost more at the time of purchase.

As the name suggests, these consist of an insulated tank where water is heated and stored until needed then emerges from a pipe on top of the water heater.

The storage tank system works day and night to maintain the temperature you set. When your water temperature drops below the preset level, the heater turns on until the water reaches the target temperature.

Benefits of Storage Tank Water Heaters

The initial cost to buy and install is relatively low
Easy to install and maintain

Problems with Storage Tank Water Heaters

If you need a lot of hot water in a short amount of time, the system can struggle to heat enough water quick enough

On-Demand Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters use flame-heated coils to heat the water as you need it, so there's no hot water sitting in a tank.

They’re more energy-efficient than a storage tank, but they can only provide a limited flow of hot water per minute – about 3.5 gallons.

The upside is, as long as you're not using it for more than one appliance at a time, you can have all the hot water you need! If you have the budget, some households install multiple tankless heaters and dedicate them to a specific appliance to combat the issue.

Tankless water heaters are best for homes that use natural gas to heat their water.

Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters