Whether storage-based or tankless, your new water heater will need a fuel source. For many years, natural gas water heaters were the top choice in the nation. Natural gas is clean-burning and it produces high heat. It’s a highly efficient fuel source and one that’s readily accessible in many locations. However, it also has a considerable carbon footprint due to incomplete combustion. To compare, electric water heaters don’t directly produce greenhouse gases (GHGs). These appliances convert all the electricity they consume into heat energy. The following are six tips to help you choose the best option for your home.
Understand Modern Starting Mechanisms
Several decades ago, the real appeal of natural gas appliances was their ability to continue running even during power outages. During extended outages, having a gas-fired water heater meant being able to take hot baths and showers or draw warm water for other purposes. Many consumers are under the mistaken impression that this is still how gas-fired water heaters work.
Both water heater and furnace manufacturers began moving away from using pilot lights as starting mechanisms in 2010. Now, all new gas-fired appliances that require starting mechanisms have electronic ignition switches instead. Thus, even though your new water heater might burn gas for heat, it will still need electricity to get started. If having access to a functional water heater when the power goes off is your primary concern, you can choose either water heater type and install a standby generator for backup power.
Compare Gas Prices and Electricity Rates
Electric water heaters are hailed as being highly efficient. However, consumers shouldn’t confuse efficiency with economy. Electric water heaters get their jobs done with less electricity than the natural gas that’s used by gas-fired appliances. A large part of their reputation for efficiency also comes from the fact that they aren’t fuel-combustion. Fuel-burning appliances waste fuel due to incomplete combustion, and because electric water heaters don’t burn fuel, they have zero combustion-related energy waste.
Although using a zero-emissions appliance is better for the environment, it isn’t necessarily cheaper. Gas prices are often significantly lower than electricity rates. They’re also considerably less volatile. If your primary concern is saving money on your monthly energy bills, a gas-fired water heater could be the best choice.
Consider Your Available Infrastructure
Neither appliance type is guaranteed to be the best choice for every home. Gas water heaters are typically larger than electric models and require more storage space. They also require access to a natural gas supply. If you don’t already have natural gas available, installing a gas-fired heater could prove more costly and complex than choosing an electric model. However, you can always consult with a reputable plumber to work out the logistics of having a natural gas line put in or extended.
Factor in Grey Emissions
Grey emissions are the hidden emissions that come from electricity use. No appliance is truly a zero-emissions appliance unless it runs solely on solar energy. While electric water heaters don’t directly produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the process of producing the electricity that powers them does.
With this in mind, it’s also important to remember that modern gas-fired water heaters have electronic ignition switches. As such, these appliances produce GHGs directly and have a fair amount of hidden or grey emissions as well.
Compare Upfront and Long-Term Spending and Average Lifespans
You’ll pay a bit more upfront for a natural gas water heater, but you’ll pay less to use it over time. Electric water heaters cost less upfront and more to use, but they last significantly longer. The average lifespan of a natural gas water heater is eight to 12 years, and most electric water heaters can last up to two full decades.
Account for Essential Secondary Installations
If a gas water heater is your home’s first fuel-combustion appliance, you’ll need a code-compliant venting system for routing carbon monoxide (CO) and other combustion gases outdoors. You’ll also need functional CO detectors. Homes with gas-fired appliances need CO detectors outside of all bedroom doors and in all common areas.
Published by: Khy Talara
