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Heaters - Energy Efficient Water Heaters

Hot water is a necessary part of any home, but it is also one of the greatest energy users. By simply switching to a more efficient hot water system, you can reduce the demand on the environment and also save significant amounts of money.

Solar Hot Water Systems

Solar hot water is the most energy efficient of all hot water systems and it can provide as much as ninety percent of all your hot water needs, depending on where you live and the type of system that you have. If you are thinking of going solar, you will need to ensure that the roof pitch on your home is adequate and that the orientation is correct.

Solar hot water systems do cost more to buy initially but you will more than recoup this extra cost in the savings on your energy bill. Many governments within Australia also offer a rebate to assist with the cost of the system, and to encourage people to switch over to this more eco-friendly form of hot water.

But how do these systems work? Solar panels are used to absorb the sun’s energy and this energy heats the water as it flows through the collectors. The heated water then passes through to a storage tank. Solar hot water systems may be passive – where the water flows unassisted, or active – where the water is pumped. The storage tank is fitted with a booster, to improve the supply of hot water on days when there isn’t enough sunlight. This booster may be electric, gas or solid fuel and may be operated manually or automatically.

Natural Gas Hot Water Heaters

Natural gas water heaters are far more energy efficient than the standard electric hot water systems. This is because gas burns much more cleanly than coal does, producing far less harmful emissions. Natural gas hot water systems can be either storage or instantaneous, depending on your requirements. However, if you have a gas storage system installed inside the home, you will need a flue to vent the gases produced to the outside. Gas storage systems have a quicker heat recovery time than electric systems do, and thus you can get away with a smaller storage tank.

Instantaneous water heaters use natural gas rather than electricity or LPG as it is cheaper to operate. Instantaneous water heaters are very efficient as they will only heat the water as you need it, saving the need for water to be kept hot in a tank. As an added bonus, you will never run out of hot water!

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are a type of water heater that extract heat from the environment and transfer it to the water. Think of them as a refrigerator that works in reverse. An electric heat pump will only use around one third of the electricity that a standard electric hot water system would use. The electricity is not used to heat the water but rather to move the water around.

Heat pumps can also be fitted with a solar booster to further improve their efficiency. Best of all, they still work on cloudy days as they do not require sunlight to operate but rather just the heat in the ambient air. To maximise the heat in the air, consider locating your heat pump near air conditioners or refrigerators that produce waste heat. Rebates may be available for this type of water heater.

Tips to Improve Your Water Heater’s Efficiency

No matter what type of hot water system you opt for, there are ways to improve its efficiency. These include:

Buy the right size hot water system for your home.
Insulate all of your hot water pipes, as well as the storage tank itself to minimise heat loss.
Locate your hot water unit as centrally as possible in order to reduce the distance that the hot water has to travel.
In cooler climates, try to keep the storage tank inside in order to minimise the amount of heat lost to cold air.