How to Keep Water Always Hot at Home?
Imagine this: you’re taking a shower, and suddenly, you run out of hot water.
This is frustrating, especially in the winter. Whether you are taking a shower or using the kitchen sink, you’ll need hot water, especially in the cooler regions.
Yes, there are options like the water heater. But those may not be helpful at times. So, if you are wondering how to keep the water hot at home, then there are many options other than just a regular water heater.
Whole-Home Tankless Water Heater for Home
With tankless water heaters, you can heat water on demand without having a tank. These heaters have heat exchangers built inside them and are powered by electricity or natural gas.
The fun part of these water heaters is that you don’t need a tank. As its name suggests: tankless water heaters heat the water on demand and don’t rely on a tank.
When the cold water flows into the unit, you get the heat exchanger to heat it instantly and you get on-demand hot water right away.
The smaller ones are for individual use only. But if you want the water to flow throughout your home, it’s best to go for a large-sized solution. The large-sized options don’t just depend on the square footage or the number of rooms you’ll supply hot water to. There are several other parameters to check.
Consider these factors if you want a tankless water heater for the whole home.
Flow Rate (Or Gallons per Minute)
If you are getting a new water heater for your home, here are a few things to know –
The first thing to do here is to measure the flow rate. How?
The U.S. Department of Energy suggests using a flow rate of a mixture. You can do it by putting a 1-gallon bucket or other bucket or a pot under the faucet.
Then, you’ll have to time it on how many seconds it takes to keep the container filled. Next, divide 60 by the number of seconds needed to fill the bucket.
Here’s a simple understanding: if it took 30 seconds to fill the 1-gallon container or a bucket, then the faucet’s flow rate is 2 gallons per minute.
Temperature Rise
The temperature rise here signifies the temperature you want the water to achieve minus the temperature of the water entering the faucet. Use a thermometer to get the temperature of the water running from the faucet.
It also works if you take the average baseline temperature, which is 50 degrees. Now, you have to set up the heater for a 120-degree temperature rise. For that, you’ll have to increase the heat by 70 degrees.
Power Source
You’ll have to spend a regular cost for the pumps. The cost you spend depends on the type of power source you’re using. It can be between $1000 to $1500 if you want to use natural gas as the power source. If you go for the natural gas-powered tankless heaters, they’ll cost you 1,000 to $1,500.
But if you want to be a little more cost-effective, go for something between $500 and $1,500. People who want to focus more on sustainable approaches can go for the solar-powered ones, which cost between $1400 and $6000.
Point-of-Use Tankless Water for Bathtubs
Like whole-home tankless water heaters, point-of-use systems don’t store hot water and only heat it when necessary.
Point-of-use systems don’t keep hot water and only heat water when it’s important. These are called under-sink models. They can be installed where hot water is needed in an individual room or for an appliance.
Interestingly, the point-of-use tankless water runs on water heaters, which cost around $100 to $500. However, the price might vary depending on the size of the tank.
Check out Point-of-Use Tank Water Heaters for New Home
Point-of-use water heater tanks work similarly to a tankless model. However, a slight change in manufacturing is visible in the water heating unit. They’re like regular whole-home water heaters.
However, the tank capacity is smaller, which is another visible difference between point-of-use and tankless heating models.
You can store up to 2.5 to 20 gallons of water. Compared to the other heating systems, this one works instantly because it stays close to the tank. If you choose a point-of-use heating system, you’ll incur a cost of $400 as a user.
Use a Hot Water Recirculation Pump
Want to keep water warm and heated at home? Here’s another solution: a hot water recirculation pump. It’s a device that pulls water from the existing tank water heater.
The pump sends water to the faucet and changes the water inside the heater with the water you want to heat up. Typically, this water gets washed down the drain, but the recirculation pump brings it back into the hot water tank and readies it for heating.
Water recirculation pumps cost close to $200, but based on the model, you’ll have to pay around $750. This kind of project requires the help of a professional plumber, so if you’re installing one, you’ll also have to pay the plumber around $45 to $200 per hour.
Structured Plumbing
In some cases, the heating system stays at the center of the home using a structured plumbing system. It’s contrary to keeping the system in a plumbing system. This type of setup keeps the heating system at least 10 feet away from any fixture. Here’s what it means: you’ll have to wait for a shorter period to get hot water.
You can find similar systems in newer homes. But, if you already have a plumbing system ready (meaning an old home), you’ll have to think of a complete plumbing overhaul.
Insulate the Hot Water Pipes
When the pipes carrying hot water from the tank to the sink are not insulated properly, they can lose more heat.
When your hot water takes too much time to heat up, you have pipes checked to ensure you’re insulated properly.
Conclusion
Follow any of these heating technologies and methods to keep water warm at home. If you need hot water instantly, go for point-of-use heating system. But, a tankless heating system is also good if you want to spread the hot water to any other places at home.
Always consider convenience when choosing a water heating system for your house. Also, let us know if this blog post was helpful. Thanks for reading.
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