There are numerous reasons that some homeowners are choosing a propane water heater, primarily among them is the cost of operation as well as recovery time. Most households with a propane water heater have do not have choices available to supply their home's hot water and if natural gas is not one of them, they usually select gas over electric.
Cost Reduction
Generally speaking, a propane water heater will cost approximately 30 percent less to run compared to an electric water heater and the recovery rate is roughly twice as fast. Because they are also available in s variety of sizes, they offer an assortment of installation options.
It is also claimed that they require smaller space requirements and many venting options. In addition, their use in instant heat hot water heaters helps familys save even more money.
Studies have demonstrated that approximately 20 percent of the cost to heat hot water is lost in keeping the water hot when there is no immediate demand. A propane water heater for tank less systems heats the water only at the time it is required, lowering the annual cost for hot water.
Demand is an additional concern as tank less on demand systems will provide, based on its size, between five and seven gallons of hot water each minute. A tank supply system can output quite a bit more than that.
Propane Water Heater Heats More Water Faster
One of the main benefits of a propane water heater is that it can heat more water, much faster than a traditional electric hot water heater and your storage tank for propane is normally outside of the residence. An electric water tank might need up to an hour to recover and reheat 40 gallons of hot water, whereas a propane water heater might recover a similar amount in roughly half the time.
One of the downsides is with an electric water heater there is no requirement to vent the burner from the heat source, which is one of the requirements with a propane water heater. The needed space around the heater can also be much less as no allowance for any of the flames from the bottom of the tank has to be made.
In the case of an electric hot water heater, they are wired into the house's electrical system and piped into the water supply lines. A propane water heater will also become an integral part of the water supply system, as well as having a propane gas line run between the water and the propane storage tanks.