If you're looking to save money, hot water, do one of the new water heaters that are ENERGY STAR-considered. Some of these heaters are available immediately, while others are released in the coming months. You can not only save much energy purchases for the hot water, but it is possible for the United States or Canada, tax credits or refunds utility where even if you install some of these systems.
Hot water accounts for about 20% of the energy consumption of U.S. households,and the average family spends more than $ 350 per year to heat water. The new technologies into the mainstream, you can save up to $ 100 a year in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions to boot. And many of the latest technologies to produce hot water faster – with a tankless water heater that provides hot, either continuously or with the help of new heating systems can heat faster than a tank in which the ' Hot water was used.
There are fourMain types of water heaters that have the ENERGY STAR seal of efficiency. The types are: the heat of gas storage, gas convection heaters tankless gas water heater, electric heat pump heating systems, solar panels and solar and gas-electric hybrids. Let's look at the merits of each type of series.
Gas, heat buildup, which many Americans have in their homes: a water tank with a heater, and usually light under a pilot light, so the tank when the heat sinks lowenough. (The indicator, which by the way can cost you money every second of every day.) Heat the bottom of the tank fire, and an exhaust pipe, which runs through the center of the tank and travels outside the pipe.
New gas storage heaters with the ENERGY STAR label are similar to existing ones, but the improvements in several areas. They are better insulated, which means less heat is lost from the sides, so that the heater does not heatWater as often. The burners are more efficient, and the heaters are equipped with heating, the trap to prevent heat loss on hot water pipes and leaks in the air spaces of the house. All in all this accumulation of heat recently about 7.5% more efficient than conventional models.
Stoves gas condensing boiler is a more recent innovation, the heating system works on the same principle as gas storage standard, except that instead of sending the exhaust gas directly through the center of the ovena vertical pipe, send these heaters, or exhaust pipe, which runs diagonally upwards at the top – for example in a spiral shape. This means that the gas takes longer to get up and change warmer area with the tank, and substantially as a result, the heat from the combustion gases in water, with less of the stack as waste heat.
ENERGY STAR standards for heating gas storage have an energy factor of 0.62, themeans it must be delivered to a unit of heat input, 0.62 units of heat to the end user (who or what is the hot water tap). Compare that with gas condensing water heaters have an energy of 0.80 to meet the ENERGY STAR needs. This means that if you go for a condensing boiler gas storage standard Logo six about a third less energy than a tank, provided it is STAR qualify for the minimum energy. Not only that, butcould wait condensing gas stoves technology, the water heats up so quickly that to make you an almost continuous supply of hot water, otherwise than by a conventional hot water tank, where you have 15-30 minutes after using the whole 'hot water before it is warm enough to shower.
Heater run by a large amount of heat in cold water when there is a question. Why not keep a tank of hot water, there are no standby losses (heat escape from the tankin the airspace around) and, therefore, a typical tankless gas water heater has an energy of 0.80 or higher, much better than a standard tank of gas. However, I'm not a big fan of these units for a variety of reasons (I have both indirect and direct experience with gas heaters and electric water heaters with direct experience).
My concerns are twofold. First, I found more susceptible to interference, at least to be sold in the NorthAmerican market. This may be partly to poor installation or maintenance technicians who are not familiar with this unusual equipment is due, but I think the quality of the equipment is also a factor.
Second, they require substantial changes in the habits of the water heater. For example, how do I start the dishes with the help of a little water, then rinse the dishes in hot water with short bursts from the tap. This means that with a stove that you are prettynever very hot, because a tankless heater to keep up with the heat until it is the first stream has a second or two. Not only that, but he does a couple of warm-wreck, as my sister found out when someone has the heat exchanger on it (repair cost: several hundred dollars) after running the tap and broke out a few times .
As a result, I can not in good conscience recommend boiler, but obviously some people are happy with them – arewidely used in other parts of the world. The one I used for two years in France in 1970, worked like a charm (except the time of my eyebrows singed, but it was partly my fault!)
The next type of water heater with Energy Star certification is a hot-water heat pump. These heaters are touted as more than 100% energy efficient, which is not technically correct, but more or less the right message. In reality, not to convert the direct currentinto heat. Instead, they use energy to heat transfer existing in the ambient water in the tank. Think of a hot-water heat pump as a fridge, on the contrary, it draws heat from the air in the room where it is installed) (or an inner tube in the water outside the tank, with the same type of evaporator / condenser circuit a refrigerator or air conditioner use. Therefore, hot water heat pumps extract heat 2 to 3 unitsambient air for each unit of electricity used to power the compressor, which is why a return of 200% or 250% or 300% will. The two main disadvantages of hot-water heat pumps is their impact on indoor air temperatures whether to draw the heat inside the tank, and their suitability for outdoor ventilation or outdoors in cold climates. Let me explain both.
If you have a heat pump water heater in the house and do not provideEntry and exit of the external heat pump is extracting heat from the surrounding area and the water tank. Consequently, the room is cooler than the warmer water. This is probably a good thing if you live in a hot climate. air conditioning wherever they are used, you will save on air conditioning to heat hot water heat pump. But if you're part of the 'year for heating, you can draw the heat from the living room you have already paid to heat, and usingthe heat for hot water, so there is energy saving.
You can use this in cold outside air through the vent heat from the exhaust and the air even colder then pumped out again in a closed cycle to work. The problem here is that a heat pump is much more effective if started a lot of heat into the air, which is colder, the heat source, the more electricity you need to extract heat from the fact that the heat transferred to 'water. A heatThe pump is not really suitable for areas where temperatures below about 40F for most of the year.
But if you live in Florida or California, are probably a big investment.
The last type of water heater Energy Star is a hybrid solar thermal. These heaters consist of a solar component, the water heater or use a second fluid in the solar collectors on the roof and one as a backup water supply or water tank gasoline. For ENERGY STARQualifications, the solar component to make at least 50% of heat demand, and there are a number of industry guidelines pursuant to solar component must also be equitable in terms of risk factors such as thermal insulation and security.
solar water heater can heat water directly, or, in colder climates, an antifreeze solution, heat is then piped to the water source through a heat exchanger to heat. The most efficient form of the solar system is aWater heater vacuum tube collectors, but unfortunately this is also the most expensive type of course, for those who qualify for the ENERGY STAR, U.S. citizens will be a generous tax credit up to 30% of installation costs $ 2,000 to get up to.
The disadvantage of solar water heaters is that they apply only to sites where it was good exposure Sun northern hemisphere, a south-facing sloping roof, which means within 15 degrees south, and has full sun forat least 6 hours per day throughout the year. If you do not have a roof facing south, or you have trees or other buildings block the sun roof of a part or all of the work day is such a system is probably not good or not. And the cost is another consideration, the investment-plus hybrid solar water heaters can be very expensive to back up, even with the tax credits available. While these savings will be recovered over time – especially when the prices of natural gas and electricity start to rise, moresteep than in the past – not everyone can afford this type of investment, and there may be better ways to spend money to household energy efficiency. For example, spending $ 3,000 one bedroom insulation or upgrading some old windows can also save more than go for a solar hot water heating system.
What type of water heater you choose to go with too, do not forget to plan in advance. Do your research long before the current heating needsreplaced. If you wait until the old tank fails before the search, according to a new unit of ENERGY STAR, has fallen and will not be able to buy the best model for your needs. Many people tend to buy only what the big box stores have special, or what ever sold to local utilities. But remember, do not pay their monthly electricity bills – do it! So be sure to qualify for the ENERGY STAR, and buy the technology that best suits your needs.
And rememberthat the best way to save energy to heat the water for less.
