50 Gallon Water Heater
A 50 gallon water heater is what you will find in most houses, and many are getting old and worn out. Because of this, many are looking to replace it with a brand new one. Before you do, take the time to check your unit out. While it may be that the heating unit is the problem, what you need to ask yourself is, is it worth it to call someone out and replace it, when it may be cheaper and more fuel efficient to just replace it.
When you are looking to replace your 50 gallon water heater with a new one there are a few things to consider. One of them is will you choose electric, or gas? No matter how high the efficiency rating is, the best bet for a new water heater is a gas one. Some people may argue that an electric one is better and safe, but this really isn’t the case. In actuality a gas heater can not only be safer, but much more energy efficient than an electric one.
One of the biggest drawbacks to a 50 gallon water heater is heating up a full tank of water, and keeping it hot. It takes longer for an electric heater to bring the water up to temperature and more energy to keep it hot. Electricity uses a wire heating coil to heat up the water, where gas heaters use real fire from the pilot light. Since the tank uses direct heat, it reaches temperature far faster and recovers quicker than electric hot water heaters.
If you have natural gas in your area, you should be taking advantage of this option for your 50 gallon water heater. It burns better and more efficiently, and cleaner than many fuels, and doesn’t run out when the power fails. You can have hot water longer, hotter and more of it than electric heaters.
When you are looking to buy your next 50 gallon water heater, here are some tips. The first thing are going to want to look for is the Energy Star Sticker. This will tell you that the heater is a high efficiency unit, and the higher the rating, the higher the energy savings. No matter what heating source you plan on using, make sure this number is the highest you can afford.
The other thing you need to look for is a warranty, the longer the warranty the better off you are. Realistically, a higher warranty only adds fifty to a hundred dollars more than a model with a shorter warranty, so you might as well just spend the little bit extra to get many years of service from your unit.
Usually when you get a longer warranty, the 50 gallon water heater is manufactured better. The heating element will be larger, and the metallic rods inside the tank that helps reduce corrosion will be bigger.
You can find more information on what other things you will need to know, like what the first hour rating is, or FHR, and how it is used to determine water usage. While a 50 gallon water heater may suit your needs now, you may want a bigger or smaller one after the warranty has expired, usually in about 10-12 years, depending on if you have hard water or not.
