energy efficient electric heaters

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more energy efficient gas or electric water heaters?

Need to replace water heater. I have gas now but I think electric may be more efficient.

although rather oxymoronic electric is more efficient but typically cost more to run.

Why? In most areas gas is cheaper.

If you are looking at it from a green perspective if your Utility burns coal then gas is greener

If your Utility is hydro electric is greener

If your Utility is Nuclear electric is greener

If your utility is gas electric is greener

Solar Thermal is the greenest of all and will have a payback and then provide free hot water for a number of years

additional details

AO smith FPSE-40-230e 40 gallon gas water heater

Input 40.000 BTU per hour

Energy Factor .65

Recovery Efficiency .08

AO Smith PEC-66 66 Gallon electric water heater

Input 15,358 BTU

Energy Factor .84

Recovery Efficiency .98

Above are two standard water heater form the same company.

The gas heater which is 16 gallons smaller has an energy factor of 19% more energy needed

( energy factor the larger the number the better same with recovery efficiency)

The gas heater has recovery efficiency of 18 percent less recovery.

The larger electric uses less energy to heat water than the gas.

Almost 3 times the BTU and almost 20% across the board.

The gas unit has a huge hole in the middle that when not convection heating is convection cooling. You cannot completely encapsulate a gas fired unit.

The electric element is completely immersed heater transferring all its heat energy directly to the water. It can be completely encapsulated there by losing less standby heat.

Electric wins hands down and not by a little. As we know energy is neither lost nor gained simply transferred from one state to another.

Electric Water Heaters transfers less energy for the same workload

So why is gas the choice? Economic Efficiency.

In my area a therm is about $ 1.20 (100,000 BTU)

a KwH runs about 26 cents (this is due to are tiered system I have never seen a household with an electric water heater that is not in the top tier. this figure has been averaged out by tier four customers in my area. It includes transmission and all other charges that my utility bills.

So from our btu factor above I pay 3.99 for one hour in our more efficient electric model. (15.38 *.26)

From our BTU I pay 48 cents for one hour in our less efficient gas model (.4 * $120)

but lets be fair the electric unit is heating 40% more water so we pay 67.2 cents for the same amount of water or almost 600 percent more

Depending on which efficiency we are talking about depends on which heater we choose. Your mileage might vary. In an area where gas is available it is usually because it is much cheaper to run

GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater

www.HeatingForHome.com

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