Picture this: you just came back from your morning run. Your skin is cold. Your lips blue. You hop into the shower and instead enjoying the reviving rinse of hot water, you turtle in, shaking in shivers from cold water. It’s not fun, never, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
Most hot water heaters last about ten years, if they were maintained properly. That’s a big if. With the hardness of the water in Washtenaw County and the buildup of minerals, a hot water tank that hasn’t been drained frequently will live a shorter life, give out less hot water, and run less efficiently.
It’s simple physics, really. The more sediment, the less volume in the tank for water; the less water means the more frequently hot water runs out and the more frequently the heat goes on. Every time it does, of course, the meter runs; the bill goes up.
New hot water tanks run more efficiently. Even more so when they are connected to a water filtration system. New electric hot water tanks run at 0.90 to 0.93 Uniform Energy Factor (UEF). Gas hot water tanks, just for comparison, run at 0.70 UEF. New tankless systems, the ultimate antidote to an ice plunge challenge, run from 0.80 to 0.96 UEF.
Hutzel installs all these types of systems. We perform maintenance and repairs, if needed. We offer a Service Agreement where we will provide annual checkups, by assessing the pilot light and draining the tank to keep it efficient. Give one of our inspectors a call and have them walk you through the latest home-comfort technology and our services. All new installations come with one-year free maintenance. We also offer a Service Agreement on any old equipment. It covers annual draining, pilot light assessment, and checkup.