Massachusetts Homeowners: Buyer’s Guide To Hot Water Heaters

If you can’t remember when your hot water heater was last repaired or replaced, it may be a good time to think about upgrading. Massachusetts winters can be cold and the last thing you want is to face the discomfort and inconvenience of running out of hot water. Consider replacing your old water heater and upgrading to one that’s the best size and type for your household. Here’s what you need to know when choosing the right water heater for your home:

Water Heater Size

It’s important that you have a water heater that’s able to provide your family with enough hot water at the same time without running out and waiting for water to heat. This includes personal use and appliance use, such as your dishwasher and washing machine. You can base hot water heater size on the number of bathrooms you have in your home:

• 1 bathroom – 30 to 40 gallons tank size.
• 1.5 bathrooms – 40 gallons minimum tank size.
• 2 to 3.5 bathrooms – 50-gallon gas fueled water heater or 66 to 80-gallon electric tank size.

Electric Water Heater

Although electric heaters are efficient and easy to install in small spaces, they do take a little longer than gas models to heat up the water. To keep up with the hot water demands of your family you’ll want to buy a larger tank size. As a guideline, choose a bigger tank if your family does a lot of laundry or if you have a larger home with multiple baths.

Don’t run out of hot water again. Call a HomeAdvisor plumbing contractor in Massachusetts.­

Gas Water Heater

A gas heater will heat up water much faster than one that heats with electricity. One thing to note is that installation of a gas model is more difficult and expensive than an electric water heater and requires a venting system for safety. Once installed there are two main benefits of heating water with gas:

• The cost to operate is usually less than electricity.
• Gas heaters can still provide your family with hot water during a power outage.

Tankless Water Heater

Also known as on-demand heaters, a tankless water heater doesn’t store hot water. Instead, water is heated as it goes through a system of coils. Available in electric and gas models, tankless heaters are gaining popularity with homeowners. Even though they’re more pricey than electric or gas heaters, tankless water heaters can save you a lot on your utility bill. You’ll only be paying for water as you need it and you’ll never run out of hot water.

When it’s time to replace your old hot water heater, call a HomeAdvisor plumber in Massachusetts.

This Patch article is sponsored by HomeAdvisor.