Water Heaters
High Quality Water Heater Service
If you have a good water heater, you probably don’t ever think twice about it. If you have a bad one, though, you’re going to be noticing it all the time – and not in a good way. Having reliable hot water isn’t just a convenience issue. It’s also something you need to make sure you can keep your home clean and safe for your family. For these reasons, picking out a good hot water heater for your home in Eau Claire, Menomonie, Hudson and the surrounding area is an important process that you’ll have to take pretty seriously. To get your water heater replaced, serviced or repaired, call us at (715) 283-4422 today!
We know that picking the right water heater can be a difficult decision and that it can be helpful to get some professional advice. For just that type of guidance and service, Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing is your local expert water heater provider!
When to Repair or Replace Your Hot Water Heater
Determining when to repair or replace your water heater can be tough. Generally speaking, water heaters have an average lifespan of about 10 years. As your water heater approaches or passes that threshold, you should weigh the cost to repair the water heater against the cost to replace it. If faced with a $500 repair compared to a $1000 replacement cost on a water heater over 6 years old, you may give serious thought to replacing the water heater. If the water heater tank is leaking, you’ll have no choice but to replace it since the tank is not repairable.
Choosing a Water Heater
The type of water heater that’s best for your home will depend on several things. For instance, you’ll need a product that’s big enough to handle all of your home hot water needs. You don’t want to wind up with a hot water heater that’s too small, so that you’re constantly running out of hot water. But, of course, the bigger the hot water heater is, the more expensive it will be to purchase and to run, so you don’t want to get one that’s bigger than necessary either. You also need to decide what type of fuel you’d like your hot water heater to run on.
Gas Water Heater v. Electric Water Heater
The initial cost to install or replace an electric water heater is a little less than a gas water heater. Gas water heaters require venting for the combustion gases as well as gas piped to the water heater. Whereas an electric water heater only requires a single wire from the home’s circuit breaker panel to power the unit.Generally speaking gas water heaters produce more hot water, more quickly than an electric water heater. For this reason many homes with gas water heaters have 40 gallon tanks versus a 50 gallon tank which is average for electric units. When it comes to cost of operation, the gas hot water heater wins hands down.
Tank Water Heaters v. Tankless Hot Water Heaters
Another significant element to consider is whether you want a water heater with a tank or a tankless one. Tankless water heaters are rapidly growing in popularity, largely because of their energy efficiency. Tankless water heaters heat water rapidly by running it through a set of heating elements once you turn on the tap, providing you with hot water quickly. However, tankless hot water heaters may have trouble keeping up with the demands of a large household where multiple people may be trying to use the hot water at the same time.
Traditional tank water heaters require energy to keep the water in reserve hot the entire time, whether you’re using it or not. They also take up more space than a tankless model. However, if they’re big enough, they can handle a large and diverse hot water demand at once. If you have a large household, this may be something you should take into account.
To learn more about getting a new water heater, contact Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing!
Depending on the location, the caliber of the plumber, and the kind of water heater, the cost to flush a water heater can vary considerably. Typically, a flush for the majority of standard water heaters will cost between $80 and $100. However, you might be required to pay more if the plumber finds a bigger problem that needs to be fixed. However, it would be entirely up to you whether or not to address those problems, so you can anticipate that the cost of the water heater flush alone will fall within that range.
There are numerous cost considerations when installing a water heater. Between $820 and $3,500 may be required for installation, which includes both the unit and the labor.
The kind of hot water system you want to be installed will have a significant impact on the cost. For instance, a tank water heater installation can start at around $1,200, while a tankless water heater can cost as little as $820. For a plumber, labor for installing a water heater typically ranges from $40 to $200 per hour. A water heater installation takes one to four hours.
If you can’t decide using the 50% rule is one way to achieve your final choice. According to the 50% rule, you should replace an item instead of repairing it if the cost of replacement is greater than 50% of the cost of repair.
However, you should keep in mind the frequency of repairs and the age of your water heater even if your current repair does not equal 50% of a new water heater.
