Water Heaters & Tank-less Water Heaters Installed
We carry all major brands of high efficiency tanked and tank-less water heaters. Tank-less water heaters offer a more cost efficient method of heating your home’s water and making on-demand hot water a reality.
Is Your Hot Water Adequate?
Water heating is a thermodynamic process using an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature and is made up of parts that can fail. Maintaining hot water production is crucial to your home needs, whether the hot water is for cooking, cleaning, bathing, or space heating. Water heaters, boilers and heat exchangers are the mechanical processes used to heat water for a variety of domestic and commercial uses.
Water heaters come in two basic forms: water tanks and tankless
Some of the more popular domestic water heaters are:
Conventional Tank Water Heaters
Most water heaters are tank water heaters which keep a cylindrical tank full of hot water in your home at all times. The typical sizes for household water heaters with a tank are between 20 and 100 gallons. When hot water is required the water is circulated to the open faucet. Conventional tanks utilize electric, natural gas, propane, oil, solar or geothermal power as an energy source to heat the water.
Electric Water Heaters
The typical electric water heater is wired to a 220-volt circuit. To heat the water, the current passes through electrical-resistance heating elements – usually two elements; one at the middle of the tank and one at the bottom of the tank. Power is delivered to each element through a thermostat. When the temperature drops, the switch closes to allow current flow, and it opens when the temperature reaches its preset. Thermostats can be set for the maximum water temperature–generally between 130 degrees and 140 degrees, or as low as about 120 degrees for increased energy savings and protection from scalding.
When a hot water tap is opened, cold water enters the tank through the dip tube and the drop in temperature triggers the thermostat and element at the bottom. As the water at the top of the tank is replaced by cool water, the temperature at the top thermostat drops, and its element kicks in. When the tap is turned off, the heating elements continue to carry current until the thermostats are satisfied.
Gas-Fired Water Heaters
An alternative to electric water heaters is gas-fired, usually utilizing natural gas or propane. Instead of electrical-resistance elements, gas-fired heaters have a burner that’s fed gas through a control valve and a thermostat switch. The burner is usually situated to throw a flame under the tank. The exhaust gases are vented either through a hollow core at the center of the tank or around the tank sides. Because gas-fired heaters heat the tank, which in turn heats the water, there will be more wear and tear on the tank than with electric heat. A gas-fired heater, therefore, may have a shorter life expectancy than an electric heater.
Tankless Water Heater Installation
A tankless water heater, also called instantaneous water heaters, provides hot water as needed instead of being stored, which is a way of saving energy and saving you money. Tankless water heaters are designed to heat water directly without the use of a tank and are more efficient than conventional water heaters.
The primary energy sources for tankless heaters are natural gas and propane. Tankless heaters are typically more efficient than storage water heaters. The absence of a tank saves energy as conventional water heaters have to reheat the water in the tank as it cools off. With a central water heater of any type, water is wasted waiting for water to heat up because of the cold water in the pipes between the faucet and the water heater. This water waste can be avoided if a re-circulating pump is installed, but at the cost of electricity to run the pump and wasted energy to heat the water circulation through the pipes.
Hot Water Circulating Pump
Hot water circulating pumps are often used to circulate domestic hot water so that a faucet will provide hot water constantly upon demand. Since water is piped from the water heater through the pipes to the tap, once the tap is shut off, the water remaining in the pipes cools, producing the familiar wait for hot water the next time the tap is opened. A circulator pump insures the hot water in the pipes is always hot, minimizing the wait.
Ameri-Mech heating and air conditioning has a full line of air quality products to enhance your home comfort.
Ask us about Federal Tax Credits for Domestic Water Heaters
Call Ameri-Mech at 303-975-6090 for more information.
Water Heater Q & A
How do I know when my water heater needs to be replaced?
A. Water heater units have a typical life cycle of 15 to 20 years. During this time water heaters accumulate calcium and rust deposits in the units which can lead to unsafe drinking water. New water heaters are much more efficient than water heaters made a few decades ago, so getting a new water heater will help on energy savings, but the corrosion of internal piping can not be avoided.
What is the difference between a normal water heater and a high efficiency water heater?
A. High efficiency water heaters, much like the 90% high efficiency furnaces use a different method of venting the flue gasses that ultimately reduces the run time of the unit and the cost of heating the water. High efficiency water heaters are more expensive than regular water heaters but in the long run save money annually because of efficiency.
What are tankless water heaters?
A. New tankless water heaters heat water only when needed. Instead of a typical water heater that always keeps 50 gallons of water hot, tankless units only heat the water when it is needed. The unit super heats the water quickly then delivers it into the system.
The biggest misconception of tankless water heaters is that they are “hot water on demand”. In reality, they deliver the same rate of hot water to the sink, shower etc. as conventional water heaters. The difference is the hot water is not stored until it is used, drastically saving money in energy costs annually.
Ameri-Mech Heating and Cooling can help you with all your new water heater needs. Call 303-975-6090 for a water heater quote.
