There’s nothing more comforting than starting your morning with a relaxing, hot shower in the middle of winter, which is why having a reliable hot water system is essential. But which system is the right one for you, gas or electric? Here, S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting talk you through how much you can expect to fork out for these systems, and why gas hot water systems are the better option.
What is the cost difference between the two?
Given one system runs off gas and the other runs off electricity, the cost to run each can vary slightly depending on which energy provider you are with. If you are looking purely at your energy bills, gas hot water will definitely save you money, but the installation of a gas hot water system tends to be a lot more expensive than an electrical system.
The reason a gas hot water system is more expensive than an electric system? Instead of having someone install it and plug it into a power supply like with an electric hot water system, a gas system needs a qualified gasfitter to connect your system to your property. This can become expensive depending on what kind of system your house requires, but if you’re living in your forever home, having a gas hot water system is definitely more financially beneficial.
Different types of Gas Hot Water Systems
If you believe that gas hot water systems are better for you, there are three main types of gas hot water systems. There are the Gas Storage Water Heaters (GSWH), the Instantaneous or Continuous Flow Gas Water Heaters (IGWH) and the Solar Water Heaters with Instantaneous Gas Boosting (SWHs). All three have advantages and disadvantages, so it all depends on what works best for you.
Gas Storage Water Heaters (GSWH)
The Gas Storage Water Heaters are the most common type of gas water heaters around Brisbane and South East Queensland. GSWHs generally use a gas burner that is located underneath the storage tank to heat the water.
To ensure quick water heating, they usually have a continuously burning pilot flame that ignites the main burner when it is needed. Heat is then transferred from the gas burner through the bottom of the cylinder.
Instantaneous or Continuous Flow Gas Water Heaters (IGWH)
Unlike GSWHs, Instantaneous or Continuous Flow Gas Water Heaters don’t have storage tanks and only heat the water when required.
The gas burner that is used on IGWHs is only ignited when a hot water tap is turned on. The water is then heated by the gas burners as the water flows through a coiled pipe which is called a heat exchanger. IGWHs only heat the amount of water that is required instead of continuously heating a full tank. The benefit of having an IGWH is that because they don’t store any hot water, there is no heat loss from a tank and therefore can save you money and energy.
Solar Water Heaters with Instantaneous Gas Boosting (SWHs)
The major difference between Solar Water Heaters with Instantaneous Gas Boosting and the other two systems is that while the first two use a burner to heat the water, a solar hot water system heats the water using the power of the sun.
Most SWHs have a water storage tank on the roof or somewhere around the house that captures a lot of sunlight that is connected to copper pipes. The sun first heats these copper pipes and the resulting hot water is then thermo-siphoned out of the attached storage tank.
Ready to install a Gas Hot Water System? Contact Us Today!
The team at S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting have over 20 years of experience working with all types of Gas Hot Water Systems, both installing and repairing them. Call us today and one of our expert gasfitters can help you, no matter what the issue.