A water heater is an essential component in any home, but many people don’t understand how they work or what they do. This can lead to some myths and misunderstandings about water heaters. There are many common myths about water heaters, some of them that are almost entirely false. Let’s clear up some misconceptions about these essential appliances so you can make the most informed decision when purchasing yours.
This is absolutely false. There are many households with more than one faucet or potable water tap in a single location, but there’s only one water heater. This could be in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, or even outside beside the house. Each tap or faucet that is used for water should be connected to the same water heater. This is so one tap could be turned off without turning off the entire water system.Having a dedicated water heater for every single tap may seem like overkill, but it’s important to remember that each tap has a different purpose. The kitchen faucet or potable-water tap should be used for cooking and washing dishes, while the bathroom tap should be used for bathing (and flushing toilets). The laundry-room faucet should be used for washing clothes and should be shut off completely whenever the washing machine is running.
Most water heaters do come with a timer as standard equipment, but this is not a universal feature. There are many water heaters on the market with and without timers, and some with and without pilot lights. It’s important to understand what type of water heater your home needs, and which features are standard on each type.Water heaters with timers are useful for households that have a consistent water usage pattern. These households might have school kids who are home during the day, or workers who come home from work and start watering the lawn or washing cars. With a timer, these households can set the water heater to start heating the water at a specific time each day.
This is a common misconception, but it’s actually correct in most cases. The spigot or faucet for cold water is the one that always runs when the water is being used, but the hot water spigot doesn’t run unless the water is already hot.This means that if you turn on the cold-water faucet only, the water in the pipes will cool to the point that it enters the hot water tank. From there, it is pumped through the pipes to the hot water spigot, where it is warm enough that the water will feel hot to the touch.
This is partially true, but only in certain areas of the country. Most water heaters in the United States have a thermostat that controls the flow of electricity to the heating element. This means that when the thermostat opens, it turns off the flow of electricity to the heating element and turns it off, while when the thermostat closes, it turns the electricity back on and heats the water tank again.Most water heaters are set to come on at the same time of day. If you want yours to come on later, you can install a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to control when your water heater comes on, and when it shuts off.
There are three basic types of water heaters, including gas, electric, and hybrid. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each should be chosen based on your specific needs.If you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one, you might want to consider an electric water heater. Electric water heaters have the lowest upfront cost out of all types, but also require the most maintenance.If your home already has an existing water heater, you might want to consider a hybrid water heater. This type of water heater is a combination of the other two, and comes with the benefits of both. Hybrid water heaters have lower upfront costs, but also have more limited maintenance.
A water heater is an essential appliance in any home, but many people don’t understand how they work or what they do. This can lead to some myths and misunderstandings about water heaters. There are many common myths about water heaters, some of them that are almost entirely false. Let’s clear up some misconceptions about these essential appliances so you can make the most informed decision when purchasing yours.