About Plumbers, With Honor

No one enjoys spending money to replace an old and failing appliance, but it's often an opportunity to switch to a newer, more reliable, and more efficient model. Once the initial sting wears off, you'll enjoy lower utility bills and fewer unexpected repairs. However, choosing a replacement for your old appliance can often be a challenging task requiring a surprising amount of deliberation. 

One of the first decisions you'll need to make for water heaters is the fuel source your new water tank will use. If you already have an electric heater, sticking with electricity might seem like the obvious choice, but considering a switch is sometimes worthwhile. This article will discuss three reasons you might want to convert from an electric hot water tank to a natural gas-fired unit. 

1. You Have Other Gas Appliances

The largest cost associated with installing a gas hot water tank is usually running a new gas line from the meter. If you already have other gas appliances in your home or an existing unused gas line, you'll save a considerable amount of money. In these cases, the only added installation steps will be running an exhaust vent and tapping into your home's existing gas line.

Lower installation costs mean you can recoup your initial costs much more quickly, especially if the switch to gas will save you a substantial amount on your monthly water heating costs. You'll also be able to install your new water tank much more quickly since you won't need to start a new service contract with the gas company.

2. Gas Costs Are Considerably Cheaper

It's a common misconception that gas appliances are more efficient than electric appliances. Electricity is generally an efficient method for heating since resistive heating elements convert all of their input energy into heat. However, electricity is often much more expensive than natural gas. As a result, a less efficient gas water heater will often be much cheaper to run than an equivalent electric unit.

Of course, utility costs vary quite a bit between regions, so it's important to check your local rates before making any decisions. If you discover that natural gas in your area is relatively cheap, you may be able to save money on your utility bills even by installing a standard-efficiency gas-powered hot water tank.

3. You Want a More Environmentally-Friendly Option

Although natural gas is a fossil fuel, it's relatively clean-burning compared to oil or coal. If you're interested in an environmentally-friendly way to heat water, a natural gas unit may be your best option, depending on your local energy mix. You can use the EPA's power profiler to check the energy mix in your area.

If your local fuel mix heavily favors coal or oil, converting your hot water tank to a natural gas unit is a small but meaningful way to help reduce your home's carbon footprint.

Contact a local hot water tank installation service to learn more.