The first type of system is the full-time circulating system. In this type of system the hot water outlet of the water heater connects to a pipe that runs past each fixture in the home, and then back to the water heater. A small pump circulates the hot water through the pipe, thus there is always hot water near every fixture. Instant hot water!

But there is a HVAC Contractor & Technician price to pay! This is an expensive system to operate, since the pump consumes some energy and is running constantly; you have to pay for that energy. But far greater is the expense of heating the water. Heating water is very expensive, and so when you pump it through a long pipe, and the pipe is losing heat energy to the atmosphere around it, you end up spending a lot of money to heat the hot water piping and its immediate surroundings.

You can place the pump on a timer, so that during periods that people don’t normally use hot water, the pump is turned off. That helps, but it is still very expensive. Some systems also control the pump by monitoring the temperature of the water. The pump turns off when it reaches a set point, and then back on when the water drops to the lower set point. This reduces the energy consumption by the pump, but does little to reduce the far larger energy losses of the heat loss from the system.

Another problem with these systems is that they require a dedicated return line from the furthest fixture back to the water heater to function. This is an expensive option when building a home, and a far more expensive option to add on to an existing home.

There is another class of hot water circulating systems that do not require a return line. These systems use the cold water line as the return line. The cold water line always connects to the inlet of the water heater, so it will always work. There are a number of approaches being used for these cold water return type hot water circulating systems.

In some instances, for instance, where the water heater is lower than the rest of the system like in homes with a basement, a gravity type system can be used. Since hot water is less dense than cold water, the hot water rises up from the water heater to the fixtures and the cooled off hot water goes down the cold water return line back to the heater. A connection is required between the hot and cold water lines, and a valve that responds to temperatures is installed between them. Without a valve, the hot and cold water would always mix when you used either one.

When it comes to water heaters, there is strong disagreement as to which one type of electric hot water heater is better: whether gas hot water heater or the electric hot water heater. Between the two type of heaters, there are both similarities and differences, and there are also both pros and cons. But ultimately, it comes down to which type of hot water heater a person prefers because both the gas hot water heater and the electric hot water heater perform the same type of heating function. However, many people are concerned With an electric hot water heater, the electric bill and how much it is costing to operate an electric hot water heater, and so they choose to use a gas water heater instead of the electric hot water heater.

Many people think that electric hot water heaters are very expensive, and there are commercials seen often that indicate that gas water heaters are a better choice because they cost less and they keep working when the power goes out. While it is real that a gas hot water heater will keep working when there is no power, and an electric hot water heater will not (unless one has a generator), this is should not be the only factor to consider when deciding whether one should have an electric or gas hot water heater. There are other concerns that have to be addressed too, and these ranges from whether natural gas or propane is available in the area to whether individuals are concerned about whether natural gas or propane is safe for the family, or whether there is a danger of explosion or other problems.

The benefits of the electric hot water heater that are seen with the electric hot water heater include faster heating and higher safety ratings, as natural gas or propane can potentially cause fires and explosions. It is not impossible for an electric hot water heater to cause a fire too. Though most people associate the fire and explosion problems with gas hot water heaters, which makes them looks more ‘dangerous’ in the eyes of many people. It is important to that when determining whether one wants to purchase a gas hot water heater or an electric hot water heater. Electric water heaters provide many years of good and quality heating service, and there are various brands and sizes that can be purchased so that a person can ensure that he or she gets the hot water heater that meets their needs. The benefits of hot water heater certainly outweigh the gas water heater.