Blog

Water heaters have become a ubiquitous residential utility system all across United States. According to the annual report of US Energy Information Administration, residential water heaters are found in 97 percent of homes, with sales continuing to grow with each passing year. As a company that provides plumbing services and certified plumbers in Fort Worth, TX – every year we receive calls from our customers, asking:

What considerations should we make before investing in a new water heater?

The question is common among homeowners. Not because there is a lack of information resources available on the internet to guide them – there is plenty; the concern is that despite the accessible information people are getting their decisions wrong. Customers are complaining about:

• Undersized water heaters, which do not meet their needs.
• Water heaters that are not cost effective solutions.
• Water heaters that do not serve up for the promised service life.

Considering the traffic of incoming calls and queries, we decided to blog on this subject. And not just blog but to put forward this question to certified plumbers in Fort Worth, TX to see what they have to say. After all who can guide better than the professionals of the industry. So let’s get started.

Question #1: What Factors Should Customers Consider Before Buying a New Water Heater?

Just like before buying any product, you establish certain guidelines and requirements—the purchasing of water heaters too should be based on pre-established requirements and needs. These are:

• Determining your daily hot water usage.
• Understanding the hot water draw patterns of your home.
• Understanding the hot water distribution system installed at your home.
• What type of water is being supplied to your home?

And to assess and evaluate these pre-requisites, you need the services of a professional plumber in Fort Worth, TX. No buying guide or an informative article will help you to identify these requirements with accuracy—not even this one—because the assessment involves onsite inspection, professional tools and expertise.

Question #2: What Does it Mean to Determine Daily Hot Water Usage?

As homeowners we hardly focus on our daily water consumption, we tend to go with the averages by looking at our monthly utility bills and that’s it.

We don’t really know how much water our dishwasher is consuming, we don’t really know how much water our laundry chores require, we don’t really know how much water we need to meet our showering and other household chore needs – we know the total bill but we really don’t know much about our daily “individualized” water usage.

And when you talk about hot water, the issue becomes more complex.

Some homeowners may use hot water for all their household chores; some would only prefer using it for bathing—the requirements vary and there appears to be a need for determining the subset of a set about which we already have no idea. Plus, the daily hot water requirements will not only vary depending on the applications but it would also vary depending on the household size.

By determining the correct usage, you can select a water heater which meets with your requirements.

Without knowing your daily hot water usage, you won’t be making a purchasing decision; you will be taking a leap of faith. To help establish how much hot water you use/need daily, call in a certified plumber in Fort Worth, TX and carry out an onsite inspection.

Question #3: What Does it Mean to Understand the Hot Water Draw Patterns of a Home?

Sure you have determined the total hot water usage which could be anything like 50 gallons per day or 70 gallons per day but what’s the use if you don’t know how much water you need at a specific time?

Surely you can’t afford to wait for the execution of a task which requires 5 gallons of hot water in an hour when your water heater can only deliver 4 gallons in an hour.

This brings us to the subject of determining hot water draw patterns, which is basically the record of water flow rate from a water heater. This metric would also depend on the difference between your ground temperature (which varies from state to state) and your desired temperature. The higher the difference the greater the time required to heat the water. The higher the requirement at a specific time the higher the flow rate needed.

And this all so important assessment needs professional expertise, strategy and tools.

To find more about your hot water draw patterns, please contact your local certified plumber in Arlington, TX.

Question #4: What Does it Mean to Understand the Hot Water Distribution System?

Assume you are standing in a shower waiting for hot water to arrive, while your dishwasher and kitchen faucet channel a hot stream through their dispersive nozzles. No, this is not because you failed to properly evaluate your residential hot water draw patterns,

This is because you failed to combine that knowledge with the distribution system installed at your home…

Hot water distribution systems can be either compact or distributed, meaning that hot water will reach quickly to outlets, which are placed near the water heater. While rooms that are spaced at a greater distance, will require some time before the hot water reaches their outlets. Now every customer will have their own requirements: some will want hot water the moment they open their faucets, while others will ask for solutions where they can afford a momentary delay of 2-3 seconds. Both are possible but both need systems that are different. Contact your local certified plumber in Fort Worth, TX, understand your hot water distribution system and ask for solutions that fulfill your needs.

Question #5: Why is it Important to Know The Type of Water Being Supplied In Your Area?

This is one technical detail that customers often forget to address. The distribution of quality of water across the United States is not uniform: some states are being supplied with hard water while others have a constant supply of soft water.

The quality of water affects different water heaters in different ways.

For instance, soft water may not significantly affect the efficiency of your water heaters unlike hard water, which would. Similarly, hard water will cause scaling of your electric storage water heaters, which can be effectively treated through regular flushing, and largely replacing the heating element can restore the damage. However, in case of gas storage water heaters flushing out the scale is a near-impossible task and does not restore the heater to its original efficiency. To help determine which type of water is being delivered in your area and which system should be chosen in accordance to it, consult your local plumber in Fort Worth TX.

By combining the knowledge of all these factors, you can make a decision that won’t only comply with your needs but would also serve to be a cost-effective and durable solution. If you are looking for professional advice on which water heater system you should invest in, contact our certified plumbers in Fort Worth TX to help you make the right choice.