Terrano Plumbing and Remodeling is your water heater specialist.
Gas Tank Water Heaters
The standard “tank type” water heater is found in most homes and with just a little maintenance, provides years of trouble free operation. Unlike tankless water heaters that have no storage tank, the tank type water heater heats cold water and stores the hot water until it is needed. The gas water heater works by a law of physics called convection, which loosely paraphrased, states that heat rises. Heat rising and convection is a simple rule that you live with everyday and a hot water tank is no exception. Cold water is supplied to the tank and injected at the bottom of the tank through a dip tube.
The denser cold water stays there and is heated by the gas burner. As the water heats up, it naturally rises and is drawn off by the hot water discharge pipe. You’ll notice in the diagram above that the hot water pipe is much shorter than the cold water pipe. This ensures that only the hottest water is being used from the tank. The Flue pipe on gas water heaters must be vented to the atmosphere. Contact your Licensed Professional at Terrano Plumbing and Remodeling for servicing or installation of your gas water heater.
Electric Tank Water Heaters
Electric water heaters with tanks use a glass lining inside the tank to minimize buildup of corrosion and extend the life of the tank. It is not unusual for the tanks to be warranted for six years or more. These tanks typically come in 20-gallon up to 120-gallon. These tanks also have a thin insulating material between the tank and the external jacket of the heater. This insulation reduces conductive heat loss.
Tank type heaters have one or two heating elements. Heating elements have copper or stainless steel rods bent into a U-shape that fit inside the tank. Electric current flows through the rods and they heat the water. Small tanks like the 20-gallon size have one heating element, while the larger tanks have two elements. Tanks that have two elements have one near the top and the other near the bottom. The heating elements for the smaller tanks use 120-volt circuits, while the larger tanks require 240-volt circuits.
Contact your Licensed Professional at Terrano Plumbing and Remodeling for servicing or installation of your electric water heater.