What you need to know about Residential Water Heaters
A water heater is a necessity in any home. Residential hot water services account for a large margin of the plumbing sector. In fact, Georgia homes on average dedicate 19 percent of their energy consumption to heating water. Home water heaters are, therefore, integral to the plumbing business. That’s why At Your Service Water Heaters has specialized in water heater repair and maintenance – Snellville residents need residential hot water experts.
Developing the Water Heater for Your Home
Did you know that by choosing an energy-efficient water heater for your home, you can reduce your energy use by 10-50 percent? Since heating water takes up almost one-fifth of your home’s energy consumption, that’s a significant difference!
Residential water heaters as we know them today were first introduced to the U.S. by Norwegian mechanical engineer Edwin Ruud, who brought the idea to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1890s. Before Ruud’s model of tank water heaters, homes used a water-back – a pipe loop that was connected to the stove and moved hot water to a storage tank.
The design and complexity of home water heaters have only advanced since they were first invented, giving us many of the sleek and energy-efficient models we have today. Interestingly, only eight American companies manufacture water heaters today. In the early twentieth century, that number was closer to 150.
Residential Tankless Water Heaters
Although Edwin Ruud introduced tank water heaters to the U.S., an English painter named Benjamin Waddy Maughan was actually the first to patent the domestic hot water tank heater, in 1868. Maughan’s designs proposed using natural gas as fuel but didn’t include a flue to release the harmful toxins, so the invention wasn’t suitable for domestic use.
Natural gas is still used to power 60 percent of water heaters in the U.S. Electricity only powers 40 percent of water heaters. But electric water heaters date back to the 1920s, when companies started developing tankless water heaters. The first fully functional, electric, tankless water heater for home use was introduced in 1987 in the UK. Tankless water heaters are much more popular today, although the majority of homes use tank models.
A tankless water heater can be a better option for some homes, since they provide long-term energy savings. Homes also cut down on water usage with tankless water heaters. They’re also compact, often comprised of only a small unit mounted on the wall.
Tankless water heaters, however, cost homeowners more upfront. They also have lower water pressure than tank models and aren’t practical for large homes with more than one or two family members.
Residential Hot Water Heater from At Your Service Water Heaters
Domestic water heaters, once a luxury, are now a permanent fixture in homes across the U.S. Since the birth of the modern water heater in 1868, they’ve come a long way in development and efficiency. Since your home water heater is an indispensable part of your household, At Your Service Water Heaters is here to make sure it’s running properly. Give us a call if you’re experiencing problems with your water heater.