Which Is More Preferable: Electric, Gas, Or Solar Water Heater?
There are several options for heating water for regular purposes. Some prefer to use gas, some use an electric heater, and some use solar water heaters. But for someone who wants to buy a new heater, it can get confusing to decide on which one to buy. Every type of heater has its own pros and cons. What you need to decide is which one will give you the most advantages and which one has disadvantages that won’t bother you much.
Electric Water Heater
Advantages
One of the biggest advantages of electric water heaters is there are no local emissions, no combustion or any release of other harmful chemicals. It is quite easy to install and comes at a very affordable price. Not only it comes in varying sizes which you can buy according to your need and you won’t even need much space to install it. It also needs very minimal maintenance.
Disadvantages
As it uses electricity to operate, it is quite expensive to use it. It uses a lot of power to heat water only once. Also, it takes some time to heat the water and since it is run by electricity, there are always chances of a short circuit or a fuse getting blown off. If you live in an area of too much power outages, the electric water heater might not work when you need it.
Gas Water Heater
Advantages
A gas water heater is mostly preferred because it is cheap and it provides instant heat. This is why it is suitable for large families. As it runs on gas there won’t be any problem in case there are power outages. It is also easy to repair.
Disadvantages
Gas water heaters are the least preferable as it has a lot of disadvantages. One of the biggest con is it’s harmful to the environment as it releases a lot of carbon monoxides. A lot of gas is wasted and you will need extra space for the gas cylinders. Due to this, there are chances of gas leaks leading to hazards. It also loses at least 3.5% of the stored heat per hour. It needs a lot of maintenance regularly due to a combustion process.
Solar Water Heater
Advantages
As you will be using solar power, an abundant renewable resource, you won’t need to spend money on ether electricity or gas. It is also quite easy to install and doesn’t need much maintenance. For long sustenance, it is recommended to have annual maintenance of the solar water heater. These are quite efficient and can use at least 80% of the radiation to turn it into heat energy. Most solar water heaters can be used for 10-15 at least without any damage. Just because it uses the sun, it doesn’t mean it won’t work on cloudy days. It can use diffused energy in the atmosphere to heat the water. Hot water will be available to you all the time, even during the night as it capable of storing the hot water. It is good for the environment.
Disadvantages
The only disadvantage of solar water heaters it requires enough space on the roof to install it and the efficiency of the heater is depended on the availability of the sunlight.
So, if you weigh all the pros and cons, a solar water heater has the least disadvantages. If you are going to spend any amount of money, spend it on the best type of heater. So, if you want to buy one, you can come to Solostar, a provider of solar water heaters in West Bengal.