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A water heater warms up cold water and keeps it at a certain temp for when you need it – you know, for showers, washing stuff, and cleaning.
Here's how it works:
1. Cold water goes into the tank.
2. Something heats the water up (like a gas burner or electric thingy).
3. When you turn on the hot water tap, hot water comes out, and more cold water goes in to replace it.
**Types of Water Heaters**
A. **Tank Water Heaters**
* These are the most common.
* They keep a bunch of water hot in a tank (usually 20–100 gallons).
* They use gas, electricity, or something like that to heat the water.
* **Good stuff:** They're pretty simple, not too expensive, and you can rely on them to give you hot water.
* **Not-so-good:** They lose heat when they're just sitting there.
B. **Tankless Water Heaters**
* These only heat water when you turn on the tap.
* They don't have a tank; the water just goes through a heater.
* **Good stuff:** They save energy, give you endless hot water, and are small.
* **Not-so-good:** They cost more upfront and might struggle if you need a lot of hot water at once.
C. **Heat Pump Water Heaters**
* These grab heat from the air or ground to heat the water.
* **Good stuff:** They're really efficient.
* **Not-so-good:** They cost more to start with and need some space.
D. **Solar Water Heaters**
* These use the sun to collect heat + a tank to store it.
* **Good stuff:** They don't cost much to run and are good for the environment.
* **Not-so-good:** They depend on the weather, cost more at the beginning, and need a backup.
E. **Condensing Water Heaters**
* These are gas heaters that are really efficient because they reuse heat.
* **Good stuff:** They're very efficient, so your gas bill will be lower.
* **Not-so-good:** They're a bit complicated and might need more repairs.
**What Size Do You Need?**
For tank types:
* 1–2 people → 30–40 gallons
* 3–4 people → 40–50 gallons
* 5+ people → 50–80 gallons
Tankless ones are rated by how fast the water flows and how much hotter it gets.
A normal shower uses about 1.5–2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). If you want two showers going at the same time, you'll need about 5 GPM.
**Power Stuff**
| Type | How It Heats | How Efficient Is It? | Notes |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Electric | Electric heater things in the water | 90–95% | Simple, doesn't need much fixing |
| Gas/Propane | Burner | 60–90% | Heats fast, needs air flow |
| Oil | Burner | 80–90% | Not used as much in homes |
| Solar | Solar panels | 70–90% (solar %) | Good for the Earth |
| Heat Pump | Grabs heat from the air | 200–300% | Really good at saving energy |
**Parts of a Tank Water Heater**
* Tank: The container that is insulated.
* Dip tube: This brings cold water to the bottom.
* Thermostat: This is to change the temp.
* Heater: Makes the water hot.
* Anode rod: A metal thing that stops rust.
* TPR valve: A safety thing.
* Drain valve: Used to clean it out.
**Putting It In**
* Put it somewhere dry, where air can flow, and you can get to it easily.
* Gas heaters need air flow.
* A pan to catch leaks is also important.
* Get a professional to hook it up (unless you're just replacing an old one).
**Keepin' It Clean**
| Task | How Often | Why Do It? |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Flush the tank | 1–2 times a year | Gets rid of built-up gunk |
| Check the anode rod | Every 2–3 years | Stops the tank from rusting inside |
| Look at the TPR valve| Once a year | Check safety |
| Drain it a bit | Every few months | Less build up |
| Clean air thing, gas only | Once a year | It´s efficient |
**Safety advice**
* Never mess with the TPR valve.
* Set the temperature to 120°F (49°C): Stops burns and saves money.
* Put in a CO detector if it runs on gas.
* Make it stable (especially if you sometimes have earthquakes).
* Turn off the power/water before fixing it.
**Stuff That Can Go Wrong**
| Problem | What It Could Be | How to Fix It |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| No hot water | Breaker tripped, bad heater thing | Reset breaker, check/change parts |
| Not enough hot water| Small tank, gunk | Clean tank, turn up the heat, get a bigger one |
| Water's too hot | Thermostat's off | Turn it down to 120°F |
| Tank is leaking | Rust | Get another tank |
| Rusty water | Anode rod is dead | Change the rod |
| Stinky water | Growing bacteria | Clean it or change the anode |
| Noisy | Gunk or scaling | Release the tank |
| Low pressure | Dirt in the plumbing | Clean the lines and flush |
**Saving Energy and Money**
* Wrap the tank and pipes with insulation.
* Get water flowing low.
* Install heat traps on pipes.
* Smart thermostats or timers save money.
* Get ENERGY STAR® models for discounts.
**How Long They Last**
| Type | How Long (About) |
| ------------ | ---------------- |
| Electric Tank| 10–15 years |
| Gas Tank | 8–12 years |
| Tankless | 20+ years |
| Heat Pump | 10–15 years |
| Solar | 15–25 years |
When to get a new one:
* Rust or leaks.
* Takes too long to heat.
* Fixing it all the time.
* High bills.
**Earth Stuff & Rules**
* Plumbing and codes is important.
* Standards are there for Efficiency.
* old parts should be recycle.
* There are discounts you can get for nice high efficiency systems.
Here's how it works:
1. Cold water goes into the tank.
2. Something heats the water up (like a gas burner or electric thingy).
3. When you turn on the hot water tap, hot water comes out, and more cold water goes in to replace it.
**Types of Water Heaters**
A. **Tank Water Heaters**
* These are the most common.
* They keep a bunch of water hot in a tank (usually 20–100 gallons).
* They use gas, electricity, or something like that to heat the water.
* **Good stuff:** They're pretty simple, not too expensive, and you can rely on them to give you hot water.
* **Not-so-good:** They lose heat when they're just sitting there.
B. **Tankless Water Heaters**
* These only heat water when you turn on the tap.
* They don't have a tank; the water just goes through a heater.
* **Good stuff:** They save energy, give you endless hot water, and are small.
* **Not-so-good:** They cost more upfront and might struggle if you need a lot of hot water at once.
C. **Heat Pump Water Heaters**
* These grab heat from the air or ground to heat the water.
* **Good stuff:** They're really efficient.
* **Not-so-good:** They cost more to start with and need some space.
D. **Solar Water Heaters**
* These use the sun to collect heat + a tank to store it.
* **Good stuff:** They don't cost much to run and are good for the environment.
* **Not-so-good:** They depend on the weather, cost more at the beginning, and need a backup.
E. **Condensing Water Heaters**
* These are gas heaters that are really efficient because they reuse heat.
* **Good stuff:** They're very efficient, so your gas bill will be lower.
* **Not-so-good:** They're a bit complicated and might need more repairs.
**What Size Do You Need?**
For tank types:
* 1–2 people → 30–40 gallons
* 3–4 people → 40–50 gallons
* 5+ people → 50–80 gallons
Tankless ones are rated by how fast the water flows and how much hotter it gets.
A normal shower uses about 1.5–2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). If you want two showers going at the same time, you'll need about 5 GPM.
**Power Stuff**
| Type | How It Heats | How Efficient Is It? | Notes |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Electric | Electric heater things in the water | 90–95% | Simple, doesn't need much fixing |
| Gas/Propane | Burner | 60–90% | Heats fast, needs air flow |
| Oil | Burner | 80–90% | Not used as much in homes |
| Solar | Solar panels | 70–90% (solar %) | Good for the Earth |
| Heat Pump | Grabs heat from the air | 200–300% | Really good at saving energy |
**Parts of a Tank Water Heater**
* Tank: The container that is insulated.
* Dip tube: This brings cold water to the bottom.
* Thermostat: This is to change the temp.
* Heater: Makes the water hot.
* Anode rod: A metal thing that stops rust.
* TPR valve: A safety thing.
* Drain valve: Used to clean it out.
**Putting It In**
* Put it somewhere dry, where air can flow, and you can get to it easily.
* Gas heaters need air flow.
* A pan to catch leaks is also important.
* Get a professional to hook it up (unless you're just replacing an old one).
**Keepin' It Clean**
| Task | How Often | Why Do It? |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Flush the tank | 1–2 times a year | Gets rid of built-up gunk |
| Check the anode rod | Every 2–3 years | Stops the tank from rusting inside |
| Look at the TPR valve| Once a year | Check safety |
| Drain it a bit | Every few months | Less build up |
| Clean air thing, gas only | Once a year | It´s efficient |
**Safety advice**
* Never mess with the TPR valve.
* Set the temperature to 120°F (49°C): Stops burns and saves money.
* Put in a CO detector if it runs on gas.
* Make it stable (especially if you sometimes have earthquakes).
* Turn off the power/water before fixing it.
**Stuff That Can Go Wrong**
| Problem | What It Could Be | How to Fix It |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| No hot water | Breaker tripped, bad heater thing | Reset breaker, check/change parts |
| Not enough hot water| Small tank, gunk | Clean tank, turn up the heat, get a bigger one |
| Water's too hot | Thermostat's off | Turn it down to 120°F |
| Tank is leaking | Rust | Get another tank |
| Rusty water | Anode rod is dead | Change the rod |
| Stinky water | Growing bacteria | Clean it or change the anode |
| Noisy | Gunk or scaling | Release the tank |
| Low pressure | Dirt in the plumbing | Clean the lines and flush |
**Saving Energy and Money**
* Wrap the tank and pipes with insulation.
* Get water flowing low.
* Install heat traps on pipes.
* Smart thermostats or timers save money.
* Get ENERGY STAR® models for discounts.
**How Long They Last**
| Type | How Long (About) |
| ------------ | ---------------- |
| Electric Tank| 10–15 years |
| Gas Tank | 8–12 years |
| Tankless | 20+ years |
| Heat Pump | 10–15 years |
| Solar | 15–25 years |
When to get a new one:
* Rust or leaks.
* Takes too long to heat.
* Fixing it all the time.
* High bills.
**Earth Stuff & Rules**
* Plumbing and codes is important.
* Standards are there for Efficiency.
* old parts should be recycle.
* There are discounts you can get for nice high efficiency systems.