欧博ABG官网-欧博官方网址-会员登入

Our recommendation for the overall best electric water heater is the A.O. Smith Signature 300 Series, which has advanced Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring and control, but the Rheem Performance Platinum Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater is a lot more efficient if you have room in your home for it. If your house is connected to natural gas, we recommend the Rheem Performance Platinum Natural Gas Water Heater instead. It doesn’t have remote monitoring, but it’s efficient, low maintenance, and easy to operate.

What to Look For in a Water Heater Do You Need Electric or Gas?

When you start looking for a water heater, the first decision you need to make is electric or gas. In most cases, you’ll want to use the same type of water heater that you already have because that simplifies installation. If you’re free to choose, electric water heaters are typically a little less expensive, but gas is usually less expensive to operate over time.

The Right Size and Capacity For Your Home

Once you’ve determined what type of water heater you need, it’s time to consider the number of people in your household, the number of bathrooms, and generally how much hot water you use.

If you choose a hot water heater with a capacity that’s too low, people may end up taking cold showers. If you choose one that’s too big, you’ll pay more than you need to for your monthly energy bills.

Consider Flow Rate for Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters provide endless hot water, but they still have limits in the form of flow rate. Your sinks, showers, washing machine, dishwasher, and other fixtures all require a certain amount of water, measured in gallons per minute, so larger households have higher flow rate requirements.

Here are the typical flow rates for common fixtures to help you determine the right flow rate for your tankless water heater:

Shower: 1.5-2.5 GPM

Bathroom faucets: 0.5-1.5 GPM

Kitchen faucets: 1.5-2.2 GPM

Dishwasher: 1-2 GPM

Washing machine: 2-3 GPM

Bathtub: 4-8 GPM

Initial Investment for Energy Efficient Operation

When considering the cost of a water heater, you may want to figure in energy efficiency instead of just looking at the initial price. More efficient water heaters are more expensive initially, but they’re also less expensive to operate over time. In some cases, you’ll even save money over the life of the water heater by choosing a more efficient unit.

All of our recommendations are efficient, but some types of water heaters are more efficient than others. For example, our best hybrid heat pump pick is significantly more efficient than any standard electric water heater due to the heat pump technology. It’s more expensive initially, but you may end up saving money over time due to using less electricity.

On-demand water heaters are also more efficient than tank heaters (when comparing electric to electric and gas to gas), primarily because there’s no tank to lose heat over time.

The difference depends on usage (higher usage means less time for water to sit in the tank and cool off), but even high-use households see an increase in efficiency between 8 and 14 percent according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Low-use households can see an even greater increase in efficiency, so the energy savings add up over time either way.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Jeremy Laukkonen is an updates writer for The Spruce with over a decade of experience testing and writing about appliances and other home goods. He’s installed and owned his own water heaters for years and once saved Christmas day by getting up at 4 am, driving to the hardware store, and picking up replacement upper and lower thermostats to fix his busted hot water heater in time for everyone to have warm showers.

In preparation for this story, Laukkonen researched the latest hot water heater innovations from top brands like A.O. Smith, Rheem, Rinnai, and others, including electric, gas, and tankless models. He evaluated each for performance, heating capacity, water capacity and flow rate, energy efficiency, and other factors to identify the best hot water heaters for both large and small homes.

We Tested Over 60 Space Heaters, and These 6 Win for Adding Warmth to Any Room