If you’re in the market for a new water heater, choosing the best one for your needs can be challenging, especially if it’s your first time buying. While different water heaters are made for different home setups and usage demands, the perfect one for your needs can bear simple or sophisticated features per your preference. If you want to upgrade your water heater anytime soon, you don’t have to walk the journey alone. Here are five main types of water heaters that can perfectly fit into your home, satisfying your everyday hot water needs.

Traditional Storage-Tank Water Heaters

The traditional storage tank water heater is a common household appliance in older and newer homes. The unit comes with an insulated tank that holds and stores the water that’s heated and supplied to your sink, bathroom, or kitchen. The tank is designed with a heating element, which heats the water temporarily stored in the tank.

The tanks come in different sizes, ranging from 30 to 80 gallons of water in capacity. Buying a smaller tank means you’re most likely to run out of hot water before the infilling cold water is heated. It’s best to invest in a larger tank, regardless of how much hot water you use daily, to ensure you always get a constant flow of hot water when needed.

Traditional water heaters are primarily loved for their affordability, a wider range of sizes, and various models that can use gas, electricity, or oil, ensuring a continuous hot water supply. If broken, the traditional water heater is easier to repair and reinstall than newer water heater types. However, working with a water heater repair specialist will ensure that it is installed correctly.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters were invented to solve the problem of inconsistent water heating. The tanks ensure an endless supply of hot water by heating cold water more rapidly as it passes through a short series of super-heated coils. Since they heat water more continuously than their traditional counterparts, tankless water heaters come in less than half the size of standard water heaters. This makes them an ideal option for townhouses, apartments, or condos.

Tankless water heaters can be fueled by natural gas or electricity, though natural gas water heaters tend to be more efficient. You can install both to ensure a continuous hot water supply during a power outage.

The main advantage of a tankless water heater is that it doesn’t waste energy. It doesn’t need to heat and reheat a water tank like traditional storage tank water heaters. Instead, it only heats water when needed, saving you energy and money over time. The tank’s small size ensures it can fit in tiny spaces while maintaining an endless flow of hot water.

Solar Water Heaters

A solar water heater offers an efficient water-heating solution for several household needs. They use the energy from connected solar panels to heat the water stored in a large insulated tank for future use. The water remains hot in the tank and is readily available when needed. Since solar water heaters use solar energy, they significantly reduce water heating costs by up to 80% compared to what you spend with a conventional water heater.

For effective performance, you can mount your solar water heater on the roof with solar panels, in the yard, or anywhere else exposed to direct sunlight. Solar water heaters can have a gas or electricity backup system to power them during cloudy or wet weather seasons.

Their main advantage is that they can save a lot of energy by heating water and are environmentally friendly. They’re also low-maintenance units, so you won’t have to worry about frequent breakdowns or failures when you need hot water.

Condensing Water Heaters

A condensing water heater is another ideal water heating option for homeowners looking to conserve energy and save costs. It uses unused waste gas fumes from the home’s natural gas system. The hot gas is funneled into a coil at the bottom of the water heater tank to heat the water inside your tank’s storage unit. This means a condensing water heater is a perfect fit for houses that use natural gas as their primary fuel source.

Using waste gas as the primary water-heating fuel can save you significant energy that would otherwise have been spent with a natural gas or electricity-powered water heater. The main downside is these units are only available as large units. They’re perfect for larger homes with enough installation space.

Point-of-Use Water Heaters

Point-of-use water heaters connect directly to the plumbing fixture where you need hot water. This can be your kitchen sink or shower head, depending on where you need a dedicated supply of hot water. More often, these water heaters are common in homes with increasing hot water usage.

A point-of-use water heater’s main advantage is that it can heat water immediately, ensuring a continuous flow of hot water. It also doesn’t take up too much space, making it an ideal solution for all water points in your home.

Once you know the right water heater to choose for your home, you can liaise with local professionals to have it installed at the most convenient position in your home. You can use multiple types of water heaters to achieve a seamless flow of hot water all around your home.