Atlanta Water Heaters

Water Heaters
Hot water is essential to good health and modern life. Water heaters are appliances that provide a more-or-less constant supply of hot water to homes and businesses. In the United States and many other countries, Atlanta water heaters are powered by natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (Propane), or electricity.

Tank vs. “Tankless” Atlanta Water Heaters
Most Atlanta water heaters for both residential and commercial establishments use tank type or storage water heaters. Average storage capacities for these units vary from 20 to 100 gallons, which are kept hot for continual use. In contrast, stand-alone appliances for instantly heating water are known as tankless heaters. Tankless heaters can give an “endless” supply of hot water, the rate at which they can produce it is limited by the thermodynamics of heating water from the available fuel supplies. There are also hybrid Atlanta water heaters that incorporate technology from both tank and tankless water heaters – utilizing a tankless heater to create the heated water and a storage tank to hold a large supply of heated water.

Energy Efficient Hot Atlanta Water Heaters
As a rule, newer hot water heaters are considerably more energy efficient than older models. In addition, the more insulation that hot water pipes have, the greater the fuel savings – since heat is not lost through the pipes conveying the hot water. If you have older Atlanta water heaters that is still operating well, you may want to consider adding pipe insulation to increase its fuel efficiency.

Caring for Your Atlanta Water Heaters
• If you live in a climate with cold winters, before frigid temperatures hit, you should flush out several gallons of water from your water heater to remove sediment buildup. This build-up causes corrosion, shortens life span and reduces heating efficiency.

• You should carefully test your water heater's pressure relief valve (safety valve) by lifting up on the lever and letting it snap back. (Be careful, the water is extremely hot). The valve should allow a burst of hot water into the drainpipe. If it doesn’t, you should call a professional to have a new valve installed. (Note: this is a common problem for Atlanta water heaters).

• Check the temperature setting on the water heater. It should be set no higher than 120°F to prevent scalding and reduce energy use. Additionally, higher temperature settings reduce the life of your water heater.

• You may want to consider replacing a water heater that is more than 10 years old since newer Atlanta water heaters are considerably more energy efficient. You can determine the age of your water heater with the following - the first four numbers of the serial number represent the month and year it was made.

• The average lifespan of a water heater in the Atlanta region is between 7 and 10 years according to the manufactures. If you heater is past this age is it prudent to consider replacing it – most water heaters “die” from tank failure. Tank failure is usually in the form of a relatively small leak, but serious flooding from water heater tank failure is not unheard of.

• Check your water heater for signs of rust since a rusty water tank is a sign of pending problems.

Superior Plumbing
To speak with a Superior Plumbing representative, please call 770-422-PLUM (7586), in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, area. We will respond promptly with professional and courteous plumbing advice.