Years ago I was visiting a friend in Tokyo and was astonished that she took water from the tap for tea, and it was too hot to drink. This was way back in 1979. I was amazed that all the hot water for the home’s kitchen and bath came from a heat-on-demand water tank powered by natural gas. Later that year, I saw passive solar water heating systems on the roofs of homes just outside of Tel Aviv. Thirty years later I’ve yet to see these systesm in widespread adoption around the states.

Then you consider that tank-less, heat-on-demand systems are available—with models that just heat your teapot, while others power the shower—they’re still a ways off from popular use around the states.  You’ll probably remember (or still have) one of those tea elements for plugging in and using electrical power to heat coffee. That’s as far as most of us go.

The Savings?

You might save a hundred dollars a year in energy bills from an on-demand system. But if you’re considering buying an on-demand heater to cover all your hot water needs, be sure to consider the size of your family, the cost of installing a system, the tank capacity, and the amount of hot water you need every day. The Department of Energy says a majority of systems can generate 2-5 gallons a minute, depending on the fuel source. From your own experience you know that gas-fired heaters are quicker to raise your water to the right temperature than electric ones.

Tax Credits for Tank-less  Water Heaters

You can read up on the 2009-2010 tax credit at the Alliance to Save Energy website.  In essence, your potential credit for installing a tank-less unit for the credit depends on your finding a system that can heat the water to efficiency standards based on source (electric, gas, oil, propane). An acceptable energy factor may be hard to find. The credit may only be $300, but pennies saved by energy efficiency can add up.

According to the Department of Energy, the energy factor is determined by  fuel consumption and the speed of recovery,  and how much heat is lost in the cycle of briefly storing and pumping out the water. When shopping around, examine units for a high-number energy factor, meaning the most-efficient for home use.

Dedicating a tank-less heater to appliances, spas, or as a secondary power source can prove a wise choice if there’s no constant or huge demand.

I can’t think of anything worse in the morning than having to take a cold shower. But having a rotten egg smell in your shower water from a decayed anode comes in a close second.  If you’re looking to replace a water heater or choose one for a new residence, you have a world of options.  Let’s look over a few.

The most conventionally used type is a storage water heater.  These units have up to an 80-gallon capacity (if you can afford to heat it) and are fired by natural gas, propane, electricity, and fuel oil.  Other choices include a heat-pump water heater, where the water is heated on-demand, but the heater has a limited rate of flow.

There are also solar powered water heaters, tankless coil heaters that power off your home’s heating system, and electric-powered on-demand water heaters, a common choice around the globe.

Evaluating Your Water Heating Needs
The U.S. Department of Energy has established some simple guidelines to help you choose the right water heater for your needs. You’ll want to evaluate the fuel source options to power the heater, the capacity you’ll need for your family, and the operating costs (along with energy efficiency).

In addition to electricity, fuel oil, natural gas, and propane, homeowners with geothermal heating systems can tap into that unique resource with a pump system.

When shopping for your system, evaluate the Energy Guide label on the appliance that stipulates the annual operating costs and energy efficiency. Size alone is not necessarily your best guideline.

If you have a large family with constant hot water use in showers and appliances, you’ll want a heater with a rapid recovery rate. Beware of your cost to heat water all day. Remember, you want to consider BTU input and first-hour recovery rates. The higher the BTU rate and smaller the tank, the shorter the time to a tankful of fresh hot water.

If you have only three members in your family, you may be comfortable with a 40 gallon capacity tank.

Water Heater Accessories
You should consider water heater accessories that can help with efficiency and home protection from leaks. These include alarms, pressure regulators, heater stands, tank capacity extenders, insulating blankets, overflow pans, and system timers.

Insulating blankets are a great idea if your heater is in a cold basement or garage and you live in a cold climate.

Finally, let’s look at that rotten egg smell.  It’s caused by bacteria that forms in the water after water heater anodes reach the end of their service life.  When that happens, you need to change out the anodes with zinc-alloy replacements, treat your water, or replace the entire water heater.

Clawfoot tubs are great.

They look great, that is. In terms of ease of use, and practicality – well, not so much.

After living with a clawfoot tub for a few months, I would kill for a real shower. Well, not kill…but I do want a “real” shower someday. So to torture myself I spent some time looking at non-clawfoot designs:

(Arciform)

(Sunset Magazine)

(Square Deal Remodeling Co.)

(Remodelista)

For more bathroom blog posts check out our Bathrooms section.