tankless water heater - Action Plumbing, HVAC, & Electric

No one wants to wait around for their hot water supply, and you’re probably wondering what’s going on if long waiting periods have begun to show up for some of your home’s hot water fixtures. Why is a given shower, tub or any other fixture taking so long for water to heat up?

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’re here to help. We offer a huge variety of water heater repair and replacement services, including offering high-quality tankless water heaters that provide water on-demand so you’re never stuck waiting for a slow heating process again. There are several reasons you may be experiencing slowness with your hot water heater, some of which can be easily remedied while others tie back to installation or related themes. This two-part blog will dig into everything you need to know in this realm.

Simple Distance Themes

In some cases, particularly in larger homes or areas where significant plumbing pipes are required to transport water from the heater to the fixture that requires it, the reason for slow heating traces back to this distance. It simply takes a bit longer for hot water to make its way through a longer set of pipes to a distant faucet or showerhead.

Homeowners in this situation often find numerous benefits from a tankless water heater installation. Instead of having to wait for water to travel through pipes, this system provides hot water on-demand for all your fixtures immediately.

Sediment Buildup

Maybe the most common issue that leads to slow hot water delivery, and luckily one that’s easily remedied, is the buildup of sediment and minerals in your water heater tank. Various loose minerals will be present in the water, sinking and settling at the bottom of your tank. When this reaches a significant enough point, this sediment will block the hot water outlet pipe either partially or even completely, stopping hot water from flowing out at the normal rate. This sediment will also block heat transfer from the heating element to the water itself.

As we noted, however, sediment buildup can be removed. Just call our plumbers to flush your water heater and drain this sediment.

Volume Restrictor

In other cases, you may have some kind of volume restrictor present on various fixtures in your home. A good example here is a low-flow showerhead, which is meant to lower the amount of water pressure and overall water used – but in some cases, it may not be working properly and could lead to issues with hot water flow and timing. In these situations, our plumbers will usually be able to make some basic tweaks to any restrictors in place to solve the problem.

For more on the potential causes of slow hot water in your fixtures, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.

If your home is in need of a new water heater in the near future, a modern upgrade you should be strongly considering is the tankless water heater. Also known as an on-demand water heater, the tankless water heater removes the traditional tank from the equation, instead providing hot water through an on-demand heating component that brings several distinct benefits, including major water savings and several convenience areas as well.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re happy to offer the highest quality in tankless water heaters available today, plus experienced plumbers who will help with every area of water heater replacement. Perhaps the single most common question our plumbing contractors get when considering a tankless water heater for their home: What size unit should I be purchasing and installing to meet my home’s water needs? Here are the important factors that help determine the answer to this question.

Flow Rate Requirements

The first metric to be aware of is flow rate, which refers to the amount of hot water the tankless unit is able to produce. Flow rate is generally listed using gallons per minute (gpm), and your unit must have the requisite capacity to meet the needs of all your fixtures.

When you have the expected flow rate of the various fixtures in your home, you can use this information – combined with how often you expect given fixtures to be used during peak times – to determine the total flow rate the system needs to be able to handle. Keep in mind here that tankless water heaters generally restrict you to one or two simultaneous water activities. As a reference, here are the average flow rates found in low-flow plumbing fixtures:

Showerhead: 2.5 gpm
Bathroom faucet: 1.0 gpm
Tub faucet: 4.0 gpm
Kitchen faucet: 1.5 gpm
Washing machine: 2.0 gpm
Dishwasher: 1.5 gpm

Temperature Rise Factors

The other major factor to be aware of when sizing your new tankless water heater is the temperature rise, which describes the temperature of the water when entering the system compared to how hot you need it to be when it comes out of your fixture. This involves knowing the average groundwater temperature in your region, something our pros can inform you of. You need a unit capable of delivering a temperature rise within your basic range, which will help determine the size you choose.

Combination Listings

In most cases as you browse tankless water heater models, flow rate and temperature rise metrics will be listed as a combination. For instance, units will provide their flow rate based on the required temperature rise – the former will often change based on the latter. Both must be considered when sizing your tankless heater.

For more on choosing the proper size for a new tankless water heater, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

Whether the signs have been building for months that you need a new water heater or you’ve suddenly experienced an ice cold shower and discovered a faulty system, the pros at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical are here to help you find a water heater replacement. We offer a range of water heater systems, including modern tankless systems, and our team has seen every home situation and knows the optimal system for you.

When you go about choosing a new model for your home, there will be a few important factors to consider. Let’s go over each of the most vital areas:

Unit Format

In today’s day and age, you have several options at your disposal when it comes to the type of water heater unit you choose for your home:

Conventional: Generally called a storage tank unit, this is the water heater format that’s most common and that you’re likely used to seeing. It’s made up of a large tank that’s well-insulated, storing water that’s been heated until you turn on an appliance that requires it in the home.
Heat pump: Also called a hybrid unit, a heat pump pulls air in from the ground or even the air in the room to heat water. Heat pumps move heat through electricity – they do not create their own heat.
Tankless heater: This modern option doesn’t store any water at all. Instead, it boasts high-quality heating coils that can almost instantly heat up water on-demand. Many homeowners find tankless water heaters both more convenient and better for their utility savings.

Size and Capacity

There are several elements of home comfort where size is very important, including AC units and heaters, and water heaters are no exception. Too small a system, particularly a conventional tank, may not provide enough hot water for the occupants of many homes. Too large a system, on the other hand, could waste major amounts of water and raise energy bills significantly.

When you meet with our professionals to determine the right heater, they’ll show you that this isn’t only directly about size. It’s also about the capacity of the heater, which may vary based on a few other factors as well.

Efficiency and UEF

One such factor is the efficiency of the heater, which is very important for an appliance that uses nearly a quarter of your home’s energy. A recent measure put forth by the Department of Energy known as Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) is what you should be tracking here – simply put, the higher the UEF, the more efficient the unit. Higher-UEF systems will generally cost more, but many homeowners find they recoup these funds quite quickly in terms of lowered energy costs in the future.

Warranty Considerations

Always remember to check on a warranty. You never know when something might go wrong with a water heater, and it’s best to know you’re covered if possible.

For more on choosing a new water heater, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

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