Taking a bath can be quite frustrating when the water is cold. That's why you need to have effective hot water heating systems, especially during winter. So, if you have been having trouble taking that cold shower every morning before you go to work, below are some great options for heating your home water that you should try.
Solar hot water heater
This is a heater that uses sunlight as its source of energy. This heating system would be a great option for a home that is located in a hot area. However, it can still provide you with your hot water needs in places with limited sunlight, though it won't be as effective. Solar water heaters come in various types. A common one is the batch water heater that is made up of a black cylindrical tank placed inside an insulated box with a glass top. It is black for retaining more heat. Water is heated when sunlight passes through the glass and heats the cylindrical tank.
The major advantage of solar heaters is that they are passive heating systems, and do not require any electro-mechanical devices to operate. However, they tend to lose heat faster during cold nights. To fix this problem, you can use thermosiphons. These are heating systems that contain better insulated and integrated solar collectors and water tanks that are able to retain more heat at night.
Gas hot water heater
This water heater uses natural gas or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a source of energy for heating. It is great for use in areas that receive very little to no sunshine. In order to install one, your house must have a source of the mentioned fuels. Where it doesn't, you can go for bottled gas.
Some gas water heaters do not require storage tanks and give you the option of instantaneously heating your water upon demand. Furthermore, they are known to have lower initial costs than heat pump and solar heaters. So you can save some money with these. However, remember to be careful when installing and maintaining these heaters. Any leakages of the fuels can cause fire.
Hybrid hot water heaters
These are electrical water heating systems that heat up water using heat pump technology. Their heating concept entails transferring heat from one place to another. This means that they can extract heat from the ground, water, or air and transfer it to the water in the storage tanks. Therefore, hybrid heaters can be used anywhere.
Despite being a bit expensive to set up, the heat pumps make hybrid water heaters highly efficient, thus saving you energy costs in the long run.
