Comox & Courtenay Electric Water Heaters Pros and Cons

Are you trying to decide if you want an electric or a gas water heater for your home? The decision can be tricky. It is a huge investment since the process of heating water can take up to 14 % of your utility costs. There are benefits to choosing electric. There are reasons why electric may not be the way to go, but let’s go back to the basics are do an old fashion pros and cons list.

Pros:

• Take advantage of Courtenay’s weather. There are types of electric water heaters that are smart heaters. This means that they use the heat in the air around them to control the water temperature. Basically it can keep the water from dropping low which can lessen the amount of time that the water takes to warm up.
• There is a lot less chance of combustion making them a lot safer than gas water heaters.
• They cost less to initially install.
• They last longer than gas water heaters.

Cons:

• It can take an electric water heater longer to warm up than a gas water heater.
• If you have a power outage, you have no hot water.
• If you decide to switch to gas, it is going to take a lot more money to switch.
• The biggest downside of an electric water heater is that once they start failing, they take longer to warm water up. They also become very inefficient which will cost you more on your energy bill.

Some things don’t change. Whether you have gas, electric, or even solar, you have the option of using an instahot. You also have the option of brands. When you are choosing your electric water heater, talk to a local plumber. Make sure it is someone who has been in the Courtenay area for a while. They can give you more information on brands that are more energy efficient to your area.