Gas water heaters

A gas or "gas-fired" water heater can be any one of several types of water heaters. Most of the time, when a plumber or homeowner refers to a gas hot water heater, he or she means a tank-type water heater that burns either natural gas or propane fuel.

As shown in the drawing, a gas-fired, tank-type water heater has a gas burner at its base and a central flue that extends through the water tank, acting as a heat exchanger. Newer, ENERGY STAR® water heaters are jacketed with insulation to help stored water retain its heat. A thermostat is linked to a temperature control, enabling the homeowner to fine-tune the water temperature.

High-efficiency and ultra-high efficiency gas water heaters provide significant energy savings

If you need to replace an old gas water heater, make sure at the very least that your new water heater is a high-efficiency model that meets ENERGY STAR® standards. Installing a high-efficiency gas water heater can cut water-heating costs by 25%, compared to standard tank-type gas water heaters.

High-efficiency gas water heaters are "atmospheric" heaters that vent exhaust gasses through a chimney and operate at around 70% efficiency. For even higher efficiency (up to 96%), you can install a direct-vent (aka "condensing" or "sealed-combustion") gas water heater. This type of "ultra high-efficiency" water heater extracts almost all the heat from the gas combustion process, making it possible to vent the heater through a plastic pipe rather than through a chimney.

Gas-fired tankless water heaters eliminate standby heat loss

Most tankless or "demand" water heaters are designed to burn natural gas or propane fuel. Instead of keeping water warm in a storage tank, a tankless water heater only consumes fuel when someone turns on a hot water tap or washing machine. By eliminating standby heat loss, a tankless water heater can cut water heating costs by 25% or more. For people who spend a great deal of time away from the house, a tankless water heater is a smart option.

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