Water Heaters

Your home’s water heater provides hot water to your sinks, tub, and shower. Conventional water heaters use either electricity or natural gas to raise the temperature of the water that is stored in a tank. More recently tank less water heaters have been developed that instantly heat water passing through them.

The type of water heater you purchase will depend upon several factors. If you are replacing an old existing water heater, take a look to see what’s there now. Gas is generally the preferred type as it is less expensive to heat the water. If your home is not equipped with natural gas you may need to stay with an electric model. Once you determine what type of water heater to purchase, you should look at how big it must be.

Some things to consider when selecting the size of the water heater include the number of bathrooms in the home, the number of persons living in the home, and the capacity of the bathtubs. A home with a single bathroom can get by with just a 30 or 40 gallon water heater. A home with 2 or 3 bathrooms may require a larger 50 gallon water heater. If you have an electric water heater be prepared to purchase a larger volume unit than you would if it were a gas model. The electric model needs more time to recover and fully heat the water during heavy usage.

Once installed, water heaters don’t generally require maintenance and provide years of reliable service. If yours is sized properly and you still run out of hot water during a shower or have no hot water at all you may have a problem. If you have an electric water heater, make sure the thermostat is functioning properly and the circuit breaker hasn’t tripped. If you have a gas model, ensure that the pilot light is still lit and the gas lines are sound.

Water heaters do require adjustment to ensure the temperature is safe and to your liking. A setting of about 120 degrees is usually hot enough to be comfortable when washing dishes or taking a shower. Any hotter and you risk being scalded although this can also be prevented through the installation of cut off valves. These valves prevent injury by closing when excessively hot water is flowing to a fixture such as a shower.

If all of this sounds too daunting don’t worry.  Give us a call at Mies Plumbing and we can help you select and install the perfect size and model water heater to fit your home.