Life can be unpredictable and the size of the family household can change as the months and years go by. For example, you may have to open your home to ailing parents as they age, or you may be raising a new family. Either way, the systems within the home may not be able to cope as well as they did and you might need to consider getting a new hot water system, as an example. What do you have to consider first and what choices do you have?
Where's Your Calculator?
Firstly, you need to figure out exactly what has changed and how this has impacted the amount of hot water that you use on a daily basis. So, how many showers and baths are needed every day and how many laundry loads do you need to schedule? This will determine whether you are a light, medium or heavy user when it comes to hot water.
Why Electricity Is Best
Many Australians are choosing electricity to power their hot water units. While these may be a bit costlier than natural gas-powered alternatives, it's possible to offset this cost by focusing on off-peak tariffs and other solutions.
Turning to the Sun
You may be able to boost your system by connecting it to a solar array. Australia is, of course, blessed with many hours of sunshine and the government offers a number of incentives to help deal with the upfront investment. You have to look at this from a long-term perspective when you consider how much it's going to cost to install a system on your roof and understand that they may be a little less efficient in winter time. Those who have a north-facing roof are in an ideal position to consider this option.
What about Storage Units?
You may like to consider storage units and these will often have the same type of footprint as the unit you are replacing. You may also be able to take advantage of significant discounts provided by the electricity supplier, so long as you heat the water during off-peak times. Only consider this option if you're not likely to run out of hot water otherwise, if many people are taking showers or baths in short order. This is because your water will only effectively be reheated during the overnight hours.
Heat Pump Benefits
Many people choose heat pumps as the best alternative of all, because they are so easy to install. You can use the same connections as your existing hot water system and they use ambient air to heat the water. These pumps are consequently perfect for the Australian climate as they're best suited to hot environments, While you can link them to off-peak tariff deals to take advantage of lower costs on the plus side, you may find them a little more noisy when they are operating.
What's Good for You?
Have a word with a licensed electrician or plumber to determine what hot water unit would be best in your situation.
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