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Water Heater Installation & Repair

How Water Heater

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Hot water heater is an essential appliance in any house.  Hot water is supplied throughout the house for shower, dishwashing, washer, and other household use from the hot water heater. They are in use throughout the year unlike other appliances like an air conditioning unit or a boiler or furnace for heating. Hot water heaters must go through regular maintenance for long life and efficient operations. Hot water heaters typically last for about eight to twelve years before they need to be replaced.

Water heaters come in two main types, electric and gas-powered water heaters. There are two types of water heaters, traditional tank water heaters, and tankless water heaters. Neo Plumbing & Heating Corp has expertise in the installation of tankless water heaters and traditional water heaters.  We also perform repairs of tankless water heaters.

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Types of hot water heaters

As discussed above, there are two main types of hot water heaters, tankless hot water heaters, and traditional tank hot water heaters. Traditional tank hot water heaters have been in use for over a century and are very reliable. Tankless water heaters on the other hand are relatively new and have been used on a wide scale in the past 30 years even though it was invented almost a century ago. The technology for the tankless water heater has improved greatly in recent years and the cost has been reduced making it affordable to homeowners.

Tankless water heaters do not have a tank that stores hot water. It works on an on-demand basis. When someone turns on the hot water tap, the tankless water heater runs the water from the water main line through a heat exchanger which heats up the water and is supplied to the tap. Due to this nature of the operation, the rate of flow is usually between two to five gallons per minute which is sufficient for up to two bathroom uses simultaneously. If the flow rate required is higher, the tankless water heaters can be installed in parallel to accommodate the additional flow rate requirement. Tankless hot water heaters usually have a longer life span of about 20 years.

Tank hot water heaters have a tank to hold hot water. The capacity of these tanks is usually between 40 gallons and 55 gallons. They also have a heat exchanger usually powered by natural gas to heat the water. They are generally bulky and require a lot of space compared to tankless hot water heaters. These are more popular compared to the tankless ones due to the lower cost.

Hot water heater repairs

Some of the most common issues a homeowner might face with the hot water heaters are water leaking from the hot water heater, not getting any hot water in the faucets, not getting enough hot water or water is not hot enough, odd noises coming from the hot water heater. One of the regular maintenance that must be done annually or semiannually is the flushing of hot water heater. Water supplied from the city has minerals that crystallize and get deposited on the walls and floor of the hot water heater. These mineral deposits reduce the efficiency of the hot water heater and will result in higher gas bills. They may also corrode the walls of the hot water heater and cause leaks which will result in an expensive repair. 

Popular hot water heater brands

For traditional tank hot water heaters, Rheem, A.O Smith, and Bradford White are some of the popular brands that have been manufacturing tank hot water heaters for over a century. Neo Plumbing & Heating is an authorized pro partner for these suppliers. We have repaired and replaced hundreds of water heaters throughout New York City. Using our service may also unlock special savings on these products through our contractor’s special pricing.

For the tankless hot water heaters, Rheem, Rinnai, and EcoSmart are some of the reliable and popular brands. Tankless water heaters have become popular only in the last decade and we have been seeing a lot of customers looking to replace the traditional hot water heaters opt for a tankless hot water heaters because of several advantages associated with them.

Latest advancements

Some of the other types of hot water heater systems other than the traditional and the tankless hot water heaters are solar water heaters, Heat pump water heaters, and indirect water heaters.

In Solar water heaters, solar energy from the sun is used to heat the water and store it in a storage tank. Due to the variations in the amount of sunlight received on a day-to-day basis, these systems typically have a backup system like a traditional hot water heater to supply the hot water when there is the minimal sun. During warmer months, these can typically supply 100 percent of the hot water needs of a home.  Solar energy is a renewable source of energy and using these water heaters will contribute to a cleaner environment.

In Heat pump water heaters, electricity is used to pull heat from the surrounding air and is transferred to heat water in a storage tank. This is similar to the reverse operation of a typical air conditioning where heat from indoors is transferred to the outside which cools the indoors. These are generally more energy-efficient than traditional tank water heaters. If the electricity is sourced from renewable sources, this system contributes to a cleaner environment.

Indirect water heaters use the boiler in the home to heat the water and store it in a tank. Since most boilers are highly efficient, the cost of heating the water is typically lesser than the traditional system.  This type of system is popular in big multifamily buildings and they have been popular and in use for several decades. The installation and maintenance cost of these systems is lower than the traditional system.

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