If you want an economical hot water heater, go with a natural gas water heater. Even if you are using an on demand, or tankless heater, buy one that runs off of gas whenever possible. These will run on natural gas, or even Propane.

These are ideal for people living in the country, or off the grid. A natural gas water heater will heat the water faster, with faster recovery time, and their FHR, or first hour rating is often higher than electric models.

There are many who are frightened by the idea of natural gas, that it has a higher fire and explosion risk than an electric one. The truth is that it is about the same fire hazard as an electrical heater. The big thing is, natural gas and Propane have odor added to them, often smelling like rotten eggs, and easily detected.

If you have a short or problems with your electrical unit, you may not even know until it is too late. You can tell when you may have a leak with a natural gas water heater. All you have to do is fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray around all the connections for the gas intake line. If it gets bubbly, then you have a leak. You should have someone come in right away, after you turn off the main. You should not tighten any connections by yourself; you don’t want to mess it up.

The first thing you should do before replacing your hot water heater is check to see if it can be fixed. Usually what happens is the heating element goes out, and this part is the only thing that needs replaced.

You should turn off the gas, the water, and drain the tank. When you are draining, check to see how much corrosion and sediment is in the water. If, when you get to the bottom, it’s really bad, you should just replace the water heater. If the water is mostly clear, then it could be just the heating element.

If the element is separate from the gas intake, you may be able to replace it yourself. If it is connected to a gas line, you should call someone, You may be smart, but unless you have the right tools on hand, it’s better to just get someone who knows what they’re doing. You should get some estimates if possible, and if it costs more than to replace your natural gas water heater, or the warranty has expired, just buy a new one. Most of the time, a natural gas water heater is comparable in cost to an electric one.

You will want to look for two main things when buying a natural gas water heater. One, you need to find one that is Energy Star rated. This is a big yellow sticker that says that the heater has been approved for high efficiency.

The higher the number, the bigger the savings. You also want to find one with the longest warranty. Now don’t compromise here, mainly because a good, long warranty unit will only cost you $50-$100 more than a cheap one, so pay the extra. Make sure you measure the space you have available, you may regret it later if you don’t.

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