Water Heater Installation

Since the dawn of man, fire and water have played an integral part in the survival of the species. Fire, with its heat, warming a home, lighting a dark path, or roasting a meal. And water, with it’s purity, washing stained garments, cleansing open wounds, and quenching a longing thirst. These two forces of nature, though elemental enemies can combine their power to provide man with even greater enrichment. Early man could have never conceived of hot water heater installation the way we can do it now!

In Kemet, the name of Egypt prior to the Greek invasion, the ritual of bathing in the Nile was a spiritual as well as a physical experience. In ancient India, bathing may have occurred 3 times a day as great attention was given to personal hygiene.  Now, many bodies of waters like the rivers, stream, ponds or lakes were often very cold, especially in the winter or in colder environments. Folks would travel for miles to find hot springs. These were useful to relax the body and the mind while also still acting as baths. Yet these could be very hard to find and the terrain difficult to traverse.

Bathhouses and steam rooms began to find their way into ancient Rome, Greece, and even into Japan. The architecture and design of some of these buildings are still consider some of the wonders of the world.  Neanderthals liked their creature comforts too! Spanish cave suggests ancient man had HOT WATER and bedrooms!

While warm waters did much to heal the mind, body, and even the soul, what about even hotter waters? Hot to even boiling water has been useful for centuries to cook food, sterilize utensils, and even purify the water itself. Large pots or cauldrons made of cast iron would hold huge amounts of soup and stews and cook for hours before doling it out to a hungry crew. There isn’t a civilization on the planet that did not use large pots of hot, steaming water in some way. 

Nowadays we may not have the regard for hot waters as those who went through painstaking measures to enjoy its benefits centuries ago. Mainly because it’s so readily available. In most cities around the world there’s not only cold running water but that same water, with the twist of a wrist, hot water. Currently, how that water becomes hot is usually due to some sort of tank that heats the water and holds it until summoning. Turning the knob marked “H” usually does this. This is done by your basic water heater. Often unwittingly called a “hot water heater”. Many to this day don’t see the duplicitous verbiage in calling it a “hot” water, “heater” but that’s fine.

• Conventional Water Heater: The typical water heater in most homes. Usually powered by natural gas or even propane but many are now using electricity. The conventional water heaters in these units can range in capacity from 25-75 gallons of water. So basically when you call for hot water, the tank empties. When the hot water tap is off, the tank fills and begins heating a new batch of water. 

• Condensing Water Heater: Very similar to conventional heaters but much more energy efficient. The condensing part comes from the transforming of the vapor from the burned gas into water. They tend to be also more powerful than conventional heaters but more expensive. So if hot water is in high demand at your location, this might be a better choice than a conventional model. 

• Solar Water Heater: As you would imagine, this is a water heater that uses stored energy from the Sun. There are active and passive types of solar water heaters. Active heaters use circulating pumps and passive units provide a system that uses levels and pressure to move and heat the water. 

• Tankless Water Heaters: Also known as on-demand, demand-type, and instant, they send heated water directly to the tap without storing it.  The water travels through a series of pipes inside the unit and gains heat either by gas or an electric current. While tankless water heaters are much better at saving space and energy than conventional water heaters they aren’t the best at servicing large households. 

• Heat Pump (Hybrid Water Heater): These work very much like a refrigerator but in the opposite direction. Heat pump heaters pull heat from the environment it’s in and then use it to heat the water. Consequently, you have to be in an area where it gets hot or never gets really cold. Usually powered by electricity, these heaters are very energy efficient. Because of their unique architecture they are more expensive to install but will recoup that money over the course of the year. 

• Demand: How much water do you need? Is this for a small 2-bedroom condo or a new restaurant where several tanks may be necessary. These types of questions will help determine whether you need a few tankless water heaters, a large conventional water heater, or maybe something else. 

• Space Considerations: Hot water heaters can be very large and need space not only for air flow but for you or your plumber to access them. If you’re looking for water heater installation and have space constraints you may buy something of similar size. However, if you’re remodeling and haven’t purchased one yet you may be able to opt for a larger unit when you consider water heater installation. Measuring out the space you need when considering water heater installation is imperative. 

• Piping: Adding a new water heater to old pipes can be problematic. Make sure whatever water heater you’re adding, you’re existing pipes can support it. Also, make sure the old pipes and connections don’t have any leaks or cracks. 

So there’s a lot to consider when looking or needing to replace a water heater. The folks of yesteryear may have not needed to think about galvanized pipes or ventilation or surcharges when looking to take a warm bath. Then again, they also couldn’t draw one without considerable effort!

 

Making sure you secure a proper water heater installation from a licensed and bonded plumber. Call us today at (562) 242-3218 and set up your water heater installation. We can also provide routine maintenance thereafter.

 

Keep your family from returning to the ice age and schedule your water heater installation today. If you have any questions and need to make a change now or simply want to avoid any inconveniences give us at Mitch Clemmons Plumbing (562) 242-3218.