Your water heater may have served you well for many years, but it’s important to be able to tell when it’s time to buy a new one. While investing in routine maintenance can help to extend the natural lifespan of this appliance, most water heaters will begin to provide you with diminishing returns after about 10-12 years. You may want to consider replacing your water heater even earlier if it shows signs of aging, such as frequent leaks or periodic breakdowns. Rather than continuing to call a water heater repair service near Seattle to fix your appliance, it will probably be more cost-effective to replace it altogether. Newer water heaters are also likely to be much more efficient and less wasteful of energy than older models, which means that upgrading your water heater can help you conserve energy in your home. You might consider investing in a tankless water heater , which takes up less space than a standard water heater and doesn’t require as much energy to operate.

While traditional water heaters use a tank to heat water, tankless water heaters heat water on demand. If you’re thinking of installing a tankless water heater in your Seattle home, you may be wondering whether the investment is worth it. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about tankless water heaters.

Do tankless water heaters use less energy than traditional water heaters? Yes. Because tankless water heaters don’t have to keep water heated constantly, they don’t need to use as much energy as standard water heaters do. This is both good for the environment and good for your household budget. With a tankless water heater, you can enjoy hot water whenever you want without having to be concerned about wasting energy.

Will a tankless water heater cost a lot to operate? While tankless water heaters cost more to install than standard water heaters, they also cost less to operate on a regular basis. According to Energy Star , households that install tankless water heaters can expect to save at least $100 a year on their HVAC expenses.

Do tankless water heaters require a lot of space? In fact, tankless water heaters take up much less space than most standard water heaters. While traditional water heaters tend to be large and bulky, a tankless water heater is compact and can be installed in virtually any part of your home. Many homeowners appreciate the versatility allowed by tankless water heaters, which can be placed anywhere from garages to attics.

Will it be more difficult to get hot water with a tankless water heater? You might be concerned that you won’t be able to get heated water as reliably with a different type of water heater, especially if you have a large household where more than one person might need hot water. There’s no need to worry: A tankless water heater will allow you to get hot water from multiple taps—such as your shower tap and your kitchen sink tap—at the same time.

If you’re looking for a smart and cost-effective alternative to having a central HVAC system in your Seattle home, you might want to consider the potential of a ductless mini-split system . A mini-split system is a type of HVAC system that works without the ductwork that central systems require to function. Instead, a mini-split system uses an outdoor unit and an indoor unit—connected by wires through a small hole in the wall—in tandem to heat and cool one or more rooms inside your home. Mini-split systems are easy to add to homes that you’ve just moved into, and they’re a terrific way to upgrade your current house as well. If you don’t want to install ductwork, or if your home is small, a mini-split system may be a better option for you than a new central HVAC system. Mini-split systems are one of the most efficient climate control options available, and they are simple and convenient to operate.

If you’re concerned about the quality of the air inside your Seattle home, talk to an HVAC professional about germicidal UV lamps. These lamps are designed to eradicate many of the contaminants that take up residence inside your air conditioning vents , allowing you to breathe cleaner and healthier air at home. You may be wondering, however, just how effective these UV lamps really are. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about germicidal UV lamps—and the answers.

How do UV lamps work? UV lamps emit ultraviolet light, which damages the DNA inside organic pollutants such as bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. When they are aimed at a certain area, UV lamps can kill as much as 99.9% of the organic contaminants in that area.

Do UV lamps work on all pollutants? UV lamps will not eliminate dust, pollen, and other non-organic pollutants. To keep your air conditioning vents clean, you should still be sure to invest in routine cleaning and maintenance from an HVAC professional.

Will I notice my UV lamps at work? The answer is most likely no. UV lamps are silent, and they emit no odor. You probably won’t even notice your lamps at work. Be careful, however, never to look directly at a UV lamp—ultraviolet light is extremely dangerous to your eyesight.

Do UV lamps require any maintenance? You can have your UV lamps checked during your routine HVAC inspections to ensure that they’re working properly. HVAC professionals generally recommend that you replace the bulbs on an annual basis.

Who can benefit from using UV lamps? Clean air is important for everybody, but it may be most important for young children, the elderly, and people who have compromised immune systems. Minimizing exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other hazardous contaminants can make a significant difference in the lives of people who are more vulnerable to illness.

If you’re on the hunt for an energy-efficient alternative to a traditional water heater, a tankless water heater may be perfect for you. Tankless water heaters are more space-efficient than other water heaters, they require less energy to operate, and they guarantee you hot water whenever you need it. If you’ve decided to install a tankless water heater in your Seattle home, you’ll need to talk to an HVAC professional. You’ll also need to decide what brand of tankless water heater you want. To help you narrow down your options, this video provides a handy look at 10 of the best tankless water heaters on the market today.

In recent years, hot water heater technology has evolved to include many different types of tankless models. When you install a tankless water heater in your home, you will enjoy an unlimited supply of hot water that is generated on demand. By purchasing a tankless water heater from a contractor that installs hot water heaters in Seattle, you will be able to pick out a model that meets your household’s daily hot water requirements. If you are on the fence about whether tankless technology is right for your home, read these compelling reasons to choose a tankless water heater.

Endless Hot Water Supply

A conventional hot water heater stores its entire supply of hot water in a large, insulated tank. During times of high demand, your conventional water heater may run out of heated water. If you are tired of taking cold showers or running out of hot water at inconvenient moments, a tankless water heater may be the best choice for your household. This type of hot water heater creates an endless supply of hot water.

Prolonged Lifespan

When you purchase a tankless hot water heater, you can feel great knowing that your investment will last for up to two decades or longer. Although tankless hot water heaters often require a larger initial investment, the cost is offset by their long lifespans. In comparison, you will typically find yourself replacing your conventional hot water heater at least once every fourteen or fifteen years. For this reason, a tankless water heater is a smart investment for your household.

Better Efficiency

Along with providing you with an unlimited supply of hot water, a tankless water heater will also offer better efficiency for your plumbing system. Rather than continually using up energy and natural resources, a tankless hot water heater only turns on when it is needed. After you have purchased and installed a tankless water heater in your home, you may find that your monthly hot water bill and energy bill are dramatically reduced.

Heat loss can cause your heat pump or boiler to work less efficiently during the cold winter season. If you are looking for a great way to improve your comfort at home and boost the efficiency of your furnace, you may want to explore the benefits of fireplace inserts . A company that installs fireplace inserts near Seattle can help you determine whether a new insert will help to reduce the heat loss in your home.

There are a couple of ways that fireplace inserts are able to cut down on heat loss in a home. A properly installed insert will warm up air that enters your home from the outside. Replacing your conventional fireplace with an insert will also create a closed system that is not affected by drafts or cold outdoor temperatures. By radiating heat, a fireplace insert will also help you keep your home warmer and more comfortable during the chilly months of winter.

If your home is in need of a new water heating system, you may want to consider shopping for a tankless water heater. Unlike a conventional water heater, which uses energy to store hot water throughout the day and night, a tankless water heater only turns on when it senses a demand for hot water. With services from a company that offers water heater replacement in Seattle, you will be able to install a new tankless water heater that will provide you with terrific performance for many years to come. Let’s take a look at when to consider a tankless water heater for your home.

Your Current Water Heater Operates Inefficiently

When you start to notice that your conventional water heater is no longer providing you with good efficiency, it may be time to consider a tankless installation. Some of the signs of an inefficient water heater include higher hot water bills or a system that frequently runs out of hot water. With a tankless unit, you will enjoy much better efficiency from your water heating system.

You Want to Save Space in Your Home

Apartment dwellers and families that live in smaller houses are always looking for ways to free up extra space. You may have noticed that the bulky tank of your conventional water heater takes up a lot of space in your home. If you want to save space and free up additional room for storage, it may be time to go tankless.

You Want to Make a Long Lasting Investment

Purchasing a new water heater can be a major expense for any household. If you want to make sure that your new water heater is a great investment in the long run, you may want to consider your tankless options. Tankless water heaters have an average lifespan of up to twenty years, which is twice as long as the ten year lifespan of a conventional unit. After your tankless water heater has been installed, you can rest assured that it will remain operational for decades in the future.

A tankless water heater is good for your home and good for the environment. They’re an ideal option for people looking for a replacement water heater and who want an alternative to the conventional models. Could a tankless water heater in Seattle be right for your home? Here are some signs that a tankless system could be the best choice for you.

You’re always running out of hot water.

Conventional water heaters have large tanks that store a certain amount of hot water. When that water is gone, water must be reheated before you can get hot water again. Tankless water heaters heat water on demand. This means that you’ll never face a cold shower again. One thing to keep in mind is that a tankless water heater only puts out a certain number of gallons at a time, so if your family typically runs the dishwasher and the washing machine while you’re showering, you may that the water is not as hot as you would like or that you don’t have enough water pressure. However, if you don’t frequently use multiple appliances at once, a tankless heater is an ideal solution to hot water problems.

Your hot water heater is taking up too much space.

Tankless water heaters are ideal for small living spaces or any home that wants to reclaim the space that is currently being taken up by a conventional water heater. Tankless heaters consist of a small, wall-mounted system rather than a large tank, so they help to free up a significant amount of space in your home.

You want to cut your energy costs.

Tankless water heaters have an enormous energy advantage over conventional water heaters, because they don’t require any kind of standby heat source. Tankless systems only kick into action when you need hot water, which drastically reduces the cost of operation. A tankless water heater requires a bigger up front investment, but this additional expense can be recouped in lower energy bills from not continuously heating unused water.

You have to heat your water somehow, but some methods are much more efficient than others. Standard water heaters can be the right choice in certain situations, but you should also consider the advantages of a tankless water heater in Seattle . This type of heating appliance is convenient, energy-efficient, and inexpensive to operate. If you are in the market for a new water heater, feel free to read on and take a look at tankless water heaters.

If you live in a small space, care about energy-efficiency, and would like to save money on your bills, a tankless water heater may be the way to go. Since this type of water heater does not depend on a large reserve of water, it is much easier to fit one into living spaces of all sizes. The lack of tank also means there is no standby heat loss, which increases the overall efficiency of your water heater and your home. A tankless water heater will heat up your water on the spot, so there is little-to-no waste. This will reduce the cost of your energy bills, allowing you to save money and enjoy a more convenient and efficient household.