Water Heating

Water heaters are essential and living with a broken one quickly becomes inconvenient at the very least. They're also a constant energy user so chosing the right one is important for both reliability and efficiency.

Here are some guides to choosing a water heater from Jen Reviews

How to Choose a Water Heater, According to Science

Best Water Heater

 

Hot Water Recirculation Systems

recirc pumpSave over 10,000 gallons of water a year and get faster hot water to every fixture.

See how to install it yourself with simple tools! more...

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Learn about the most efficient water heaters available.

Imagine heating your water using only the heat from the air in the room! That's what a heat-pump water heater does. more...

Learn about tankless water heaters!

A tankless water heater save water, energy, and money (plus you don't run out of hot H2 0)!

Listen to what a tankless water heater is, and its advantages and disadvantages.
Listen in..

water heaters

Water Heater Rocket

Is water heater safety important? You BET it is!

You should be very critical of your water heater and examine it as closely. A damaged water heater could cause danger to members of your household. It can also be costly especially when the water heater's damage is significant. It's better to be always on the safe side and make sure that our water heaters are in good condition in order to avoid accidents.

Watch this short "Mythbusters" video that clearly demonstrates how powerful a poorly rigged water heater can be. For this demonstration the water heater's thermostat and pressure relief valve have failed, no thermal expansion tank is installed, and steam pressure inside the tank builds up turning the water heater into a rocket and flys up to 150 feet in the air!

But before a water heater goes ballistic, all that pressure takes a toll on the home's plumbing. When the water heater heats a large quantity of water (say, after a shower) the water expands slightly, and that expansion has to go somewhere, which can significantly increasing the pressure,! The symptoms may be a toilet fill valve (ballcock valve) running on its own, or "unrelated" leaks in various places (e.g., faucets). A thermal expansion tank can absorbe the expansion pressure changes and prevent the damage (and costly plumbing repair bills).

Glossary for Water Heating

angle stop
ball valve
Bullet effect
Check Valve
dynamic
PTRV or T&P
Re-Circulating Pump
Water Pressure Regulator

Frequently UNasked Questions

  • What is anti-scald?
  • Why does a water heater go bad?
  • How can I get more hot water out of my water heater tank?
  • Tell me about tank type water heaters (proper size, venting, BTU ratings, types).