Instantaneous Vs. Storage Hot Water

Are you planning to invest in a hot water system in your home or business in Brisbane? If so, you have quite a number of options available in the market to choose from. Before you can decide, it's critical to understand several factors to determine the ideal type of hot water system for you.

These include your budget, your hot water needs, and available space, among many others. The overarching factor is to make sure you choose a system that meets all your hot water needs; otherwise, you'll be dealing with hot water shortages an annoying number of times.

As far as hot water systems go, you have to decide whether to get an instantaneous or storage hot water system. When choosing between the two, it's essential to consider the option that will effectively meet all your hot water needs and save you money in the long run.

Additionally, it would be best to look into each type's pros and cons to make an informed decision. This article looks at instantaneous vs. storage hot water systems to help you give more insight into the ideal option.

Storage Hot Water Systems

Storage hot water systems are available in two types; the electrical water heater and the gas water heater. To decide on the best option for your household, you must first find out which energy source is available on your property.

If you want a gas system, but your property isn't connected to gas, you could have a gas line fed to your home or business. However, this will come with an additional cost.

The working mechanism of storage water systems

Storage tank hot water systems have a simple working mechanism. The system features a cold inlet pump that moves water from the mains into the tank. An electric heating element or gas burner inside the system then heats the water to the set temperature. Additionally, the tank is insulated to reduce heat loss and allow immediate hot water access.

One of the main concerns with storage hot water systems is the building pressure as the cold water gets heated. To solve this issue, there is a pressure relief valve. When the pressure inside the tank is too high, water is pushed through the valve and escapes through the overflow pipe, minimising the pressure.

Secondly, there are health concerns around storing water in a tank for a prolonged duration. The thermostats designated to the tanks are usually set to 60 degrees centigrade to control bacteria growth. This temperature could result in scalding if you used the water to wash your hands or shower as is. To prevent the problem, tempering valves are installed to ensure the water delivered to all your fixtures is reduced to 50 degrees centigrade.

Another concern is rusting of the tank, which you could easily control by having an expert install sacrificial anodes inside the tank. With this solution, the anodes destroy themselves by corroding, which, in turn, prevents your storage tank from rusting. As a rule of thumb, you should have an expert replace the anodes every three years.

Instantaneous Hot Water Systems

Instant hot water systems have become popular among many residential and commercial properties in Brisbane. This is primarily due to their high energy efficiency compared to storage hot water systems, which is influenced by their working mechanism.

The working mechanism of instantaneous hot water systems

This system heats water only when you need it. In contrast, a storage hot water system heats and stores water in a tank all day. When you switch on the hot water tap, a flow sensor is triggered, turning on the gas burner or electric heating element.

When you switch on the hot water tap, cold water gets pumped through a heat exchanger, where it is heated and pumped to your fixtures. This is to say that water is continuously heated as long as you have a hot water tap running. When the hot water tap is turned off, the flow sensor turns off, and the heat exchanger stops heating the water.

This means that with the instantaneous hot water systems, you only heat water when you require it. Storage hot water systems require you to consider the storage capacity of the hot water tank when buying one.

However, with instant hot water systems, you simply need to consider the flow rate of various systems to find the most suitable one for your commercial or residential property. To put it into perspective, the flow rate is the number of litres of hot water your system can deliver per minute.

Pros of Storage Hot Water Systems

Here are a few of the pros of storage hot water systems.

Hot water is always available

A storage hot water system draws from a tank of already heated water. Each storage water heater features a mixer that you could use to set the desired water temperature. The mixer regulates the amount of cold water from a pipe that is mixed with the hot water from the tank as it flows out.

Cost-effective

The installation cost of a storage hot water system is lower than that of an instant hot water heater. Since the system is designed to be shared amongst many rooms, it becomes less costly than buying two instant water heaters.

Use all energy sources

The other great advantage is that you can decide the type of energy source to power your storage hot water system. Whether you want to use electricity or gas, the choice is yours based on your needs.

Wide range of tank sizes

With this system's wide range of tank sizes, you could get a storage tank sized to meet your requirements. You could call a plumber to guide you on the right-sized unit providing the right amount of water without wasting much energy.

Cons of Storage Hot Water Systems

The drawbacks of using a storage hot water system are as follows:

The tanks are bulky

A significant drawback of storage hot water systems is that they are bulky and large because they come with tanks. This means they are not ideal if you only have limited space on your property. If you are conscious about the appearance of your house, storage tanks might also not be the best option since they aren't aesthetically pleasing.

Hot water can run out

A storage hot water tank only holds a certain amount of water at once, which is determined by its size. Therefore, it could quickly run out with increased needs. In this case, the tank must be refilled and the water heated again. This might take a few hours, leaving you without hot water in your tank while the process takes place.

Energy inefficiency

Storage hot water tanks heat all the water regardless of whether you need it or not. This wastes a lot of energy and makes them energy inefficient if you don't require all the hot water.

Pros of Instant Hot Water Systems

Installing an instant hot water system for your hot water needs has the following benefits:

Compact size

Instantaneous units are compact-sized and mounted to your wall where they cannot be seen. As a result, this heater is an excellent option if you have a small space or are conscious of your outdoor space's appearance.

Energy efficient

Compared to its storage counterpart, this system is more energy efficient, saving energy bills. As mentioned, this is mainly because you only heat water when needed.

Eco-friendly

Instant hot water systems are more energy efficient. Therefore, no energy is wasted heating excess water, which, in turn, leads to lower greenhouse gas emissions and fewer environmental impacts.

No tempering valve is needed

Another great benefit of the system is that there is no water stored in the system. Thus, the risk of bacteria growth in the water is eliminated. You could set the temperature to hot on the system itself.

Cons of Instant Hot Water Systems

Below are some of the drawbacks of an instant hot water system on your property:

High set-up costs

Installing an instant water heater is more expensive than a storage hot water tank. More connections and power sources are needed that must be factored into the installation cost. Thus, in addition to paying more upfront, the installation will also cost you more.

Limited flow rate

Storage hot water systems are usually limited by their tank capacity, while the flow rate limits their instant counterparts. Consequently, the hot water demand might exceed your system flow rate if you use more appliances simultaneously. This means that your fixtures won't get a continuous flow of enough hot water.

Delay of hot water

Another shortcoming of an instant hot water system is that you get a slight delay when you turn on the hot water tap and when the hot water starts to come out of the fixture. This happens because the hot water is not stored ready for use, and the system takes some time to heat up. However, this should not deter you, as the delay is negligible if your system is in perfect working condition.

Need Expert Help With Your Water Heater?

With the information in this article, you can comfortably decide whether to invest in an instantaneous or storage hot water system for your residence. To guarantee that you get the best service from the system you opt for, working with a professional plumbing contractor is paramount.

These experts could help undertake the installation, maintenance, repair, and inspection of your hot water system, among other services. And if you cannot decide, they could also help you choose the best system depending on your hot water needs.