Hot Water Systems
Whether you're in Townsville or Tassie, it's important to choose the
right hot water system for your home. While there's no substitute for
professional advice,
here are some basic facts to get you started.
Types of hot water system
There are two main types of hot water system:
- Storage systems heat a large amount of water at a time and
store it in an insulated tank until you need it. Storage systems
can provide a lot of hot water at once and are quite cheap to
install.
- Continuous flow systems heat water 'on demand' and make
it pretty much impossible to run out of hot water, although they
can't deliver hot water to more than a couple of points in your
house at once. Because they don€t constantly heat and store
water, continuous flow systems use less energy than a tank
system and are much smaller.
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Heat sources
The type of fuel your hot water system runs on will depend on your
needs and what is available in your area:
-
Natural gas
A fast and efficient heating option that works with
both storage and continuous flow systems. Available for indoor
and outdoor models.
- Off-peak electricity
Off-peak electric systems heat water
overnight to use during the day. They have similar running
costs to gas but are not suitable for continuous flow systems.
- Peak electricity
Generally used for continuous flow heaters or
small storage tanks. Can be expensive to run.
- Solar
Solar water heating has a high set-up cost but can
provide almost all of your hot water for free. Most systems
come with a gas or electric booster for cloudy days.
- Heat pumps
These extremely efficient systems extract heat
from the atmosphere and use it to warm water in a tank.
Placement and installation
Place your hot water system as close as possible to those rooms
where hot water is used € the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Make
sure the system and pipes are well insulated for maximum efficiency.
Compare quotes on hot water system installation today!
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