We all know that energy must be conserved so that we can enjoy it for the long term. Therefore, the energy consumption by us should be in a smart way, and in this context, it should be mentioned here that water heating nearly makes up a quarter of most household energy usage. Therefore, it is important to understand the hot water service installations so that we can find out the best way to run this system optimally.
There are a lot of energy sources available for it and reviewing them can be helpful in selecting the best hot water service installation. This can help in saving ample energy bills while at the same time, an environmental-friendly option can also be chosen. Hence, in the following sections, we look at all the available choices one by one. Before going for the available choices have a look at the selection criteria for your heater.
- Fuel type, availability of cost: – When selecting a new water heater, it’s important to consider what fuel type or energy source you will use, including its availability and cost.
- Size: – To give your family enough high temp water and to amplify effectiveness, you need an appropriately estimated water warmer.
- Vitality productivity: – To boost your vitality and cost investment funds, you need to know how vitality effective a water warmer is before you buy it.
- Expenses: – Before you buy water warmer, it’s additionally a smart thought to evaluate its yearly working expenses and contrast those expenses and different less or more vitality proficient models
Electric heating
A hot water service installation that makes use of electricity for heating can be relatively cheaper to purchase and install but can be costly to maintain, especially if the system runs for the full day. If an electric system runs on off-peak electricity, then it can be relatively cheaper to maintain, but off-peak electricity may not be available at all homes. Also, a large tank will be needed to hold the water that has been heated overnight so that continuous supply stays for the next day. With this type of heating, a four-person household may require a 125 liter to 160-liter tank for a continuous system and a 215 liter to 315-liter tank for an off-peak supply. This type of system can be easily installed indoors or outdoors within two to three hours, and the price range can vary from AUD 300 to AUD 1500.
Solar heating
Solar hot water service installation can be time-consuming and comparatively costlier because an installer must inspect a household and plan for the installation. However, the actual installation can be completed within a day. It also offers a very low running cost in the long run, and with government discounts and other rebates in place, the buying cost of the system can be adequately neutralized.
A typical solar heating system consists of a storage tank and solar panels. A household of four-person may need a 300 liter to 360-liter tank and nearly four-square meters for the installation of the solar panels. The storage tank may also have a gas or electric booster element to keep the water warm on days with low sunshine.
Natural gas or LPG
Natural gas hot water service installations can be a good choice as it is quite cheaper than other options. Also, they can be used throughout the day as gas prices do not vary. They also feature an energy efficiency star rating, and for a family of four, a tank size of 135 liters to 170 liters can be enough. The installation can be done within two to three hours, but due to venting needs, they are normally installed outdoors. With a flue in place, it can also be installed in-house. LPG is an alternative to natural gas, but the running cost with them can be quite more.
Heat Pump
This type of hot water service installation involves a tank and compressor that can be integrated units or can also be independent of each other. The compressor extracts heat from the air and uses the same for heating the tank. The compressor can be noisy so that it must be installed outdoors. The installation can be done within two to three hours, and government discounts and incentives can help in recovering the buying cost of a unit. For this unit, a family of four may need a water tank of about 270 liters to 315 liters capacity.
We have seen the different energy sources by using which a hot water installation can be run. Depending on one’s choice and preference, any one of them can be chosen so that energy can be utilized efficiently.
