Chances are, if you live in Ballston Spa or Saratoga Springs or anywhere else in Saratoga County, you will likely be replacing your hot water heater at some point within a ten-year period of time. With all the calcium and mineral deposits found in our local water, how water heater’s just will not last as long as they could.
One way to extend the life of your existing hot water heater is to install a water conditioner to soften the water and minimize any chance of calcium deposits building up with inside your hot water heater, potentially damaging it.
Most people, when we are doing our home inspections in Albany and the surrounding area, have aged hot water heaters that are coming due for replacement. People tend to wait until they break before they replace them and less people are proactive as they should be. We are thorough to inspect the hot water heater to make sure it’s wired properly and that is functioning at its best.
If you are in a place where you are in need of replacing your hot water heater, there are a number of choices you can make.
You can go with a standard gas hot water heater which is really quite popular. There are about 90% of the people we see in the area are using standard gas hot water heaters. This is because they typically have a lower cost and are less expensive to operate because they are using natural gas. The problem is the standard gas hot water heater keeps the water hot all day which is unfortunately costing you money by using extra electricity.
Another option we see often in the area is what’s called a power vent hot water heater. This type of system is very similar to a traditional standard gas heater but the exhaust gases are actually forced out through a plastic pipe out the side of your home. The best advantage to using this is that the exhaust gases do not go up through the roof. The big downside is there cost which could be twice as much as a standard hot water heater.
Getting more popular is the tankless hot water heater. These are obviously the most expensive but are huge in terms of saving space and work on demand. The benefit is they only keep the water as you use it and you’re not wasting money by having to heat water all day long. They actually do use less energy and are definitely more efficient and the other options.
The last option is the electric hot water heater which is by far the most inexpensive and easiest to install. They require no venting no gas hook ups and simply need a dedicated circuit back to the panel.
If you are planning to sell your home and need a home inspector in Saratoga Springs or Ballston Spa that can help give you guidance on the repairs you might want to consider making, please consider calling Bald Eagle Inspection Services today.