Gas Hot Water Heaters are Still Useful
"I'm glad I got my gas hot water heaters!"
Gas hot water heaters are the standard way to provide warm water to a home. There are all kinds of new fancy types out there, whether you’re talking about tankless, direct vent, point of use, instantaneous, on demand, or electric. However, natural gas types still take precedent in most construction workers’ minds as well as those that frequently want hot water without having to pay as much.
There are several different sizes available, including 40, 50, 75, and 80 gallon tanks. What size you get really depends on the house you’re in, so you shouldn’t worry too much about that. Also, the brand is the same way. Whether you end up with a Bradford, AO Smith, GE (General Electric), Ruud, Aquastar, Rinnai, Polaris, or Titan is entirely up to the person that does the installation. Fortunately though, most of these share the same troubleshooting techniques. So don’t spend too much time trying to compare reviews to figure out which the best one is to buy. Just get one with a thermocouple, and make sure you get someone to install it that also understands how to repair it or get a new one should you need a replacement (such as if the unit is leaking).
Other than those things, you’re pretty much educated enough to know how to handle any type of fuel water heater, including propane. Even though this is the case though, I wouldn’t say you were ready to handle a commercial style, as they are different than high efficiency residential types. Also, don’t go thinking you can change out your unit should it stop functioning properly. You might seriously hurt yourself or someone else.
All in all, it’s good to know these things because it’s another aspect of the home that is factored in when buying or selling. People love to know that their water heater is functioning properly and that there will be no problems with it.