Thinking of replacing your old water heater with a new electric water heater? It can be a great decision: Electric water heaters are more energy-efficient, less expensive to install, and safer than gas water heaters.

 

It’s not all upside, though: Your new electric heater might be slower to heat water and more costly to operate. Worse yet, if the power goes out, you’ll have no way of heating your water.

 

In this article, we delve into those advantages and disadvantages, look into tankless water heaters, and help you determine if an electric or gas water heater is right for you. Let’s jump right in! 

The Advantages Of Electric Water Heaters

Lower Upfront Costs

Electric water heaters are typically less expensive to install than gas water heaters, especially if you don’t already have a gas water heater. Transitioning from electric to gas means installing new gas lines; even if you already have a gas heater, the process of installing a new one is more complex.

 

Natural gas heaters require ventilation, while electric heaters do not. The lower installation cost of electric heaters, plus the higher cost of the gas unit itself, makes electric heaters much more affordable. The only exception to this rule is if you need to upgrade your electric service to accommodate an electric water heater. 

Energy-Efficient

Gas is inherently energy-inefficient because it produces water vapour when it burns; this means that not all of the energy from your gas water heater goes to heating your water. New energy-efficient gas models recapture some of the heat from the water vapour, but the system isn’t perfect.

 

Electric heaters, on the other hand, turn all of their energy into heat; this means they’re 100% energy-efficient. They’re also more environmentally friendly – especially here in Manitoba, where our energy comes from renewable hydroelectric sources. 

 

You should know, however, that 100% energy efficiency doesn’t mean that electric heaters cost less to run; the opposite is true, but we’ll explore that in greater detail in the next section, where we talk about the disadvantages of electric water heaters.

Safe

While gas water heaters are incredibly safe, electric water heaters are even safer: No risk of gas leaks, and certainly no risk of explosions. We want to emphasize that these risks are incredibly low on modern gas hot water tanks, but if safety is your #1 priority, electric heaters are safer. 

The Disadvantages Of Electric Water Heaters

Slow Heating Time

Remember when we said that electric water heaters are more energy-efficient? While that’s true, they are less efficient at heating water: It takes an electric heater longer to heat the same amount of water to the same temperature. Gas units create more heat more quickly; it’s one of the reasons that they remain so popular.

 

This problem is even more pronounced in tankless water heaters. Electric tankless water heaters simply do not heat water quickly enough for most households in Winnipeg, while gas tankless heaters get the job done even in the dead of winter. Keep that in mind if you’re thinking of switching to a tankless heater!

Higher Operating Costs

Despite being more energy-efficient, electric water heaters cost significantly more money to run. 

 

You can use Manitoba Hydro’s Home Heat Cost Calculator to compare the price of electric and gas water heaters. For a family of four, the annual operating cost of a 60-gallon electric storage water heater is $591 a year, while the average annual cost of a gas water heater is under $150.

Higher Operating Costs

Play around with the calculator to compare water heaters at different price points; even with the higher upfront cost of gas heaters, they’re usually more affordable over time than their electric counterparts. 

They Don’t Work When The Power Goes Out

One of the biggest downsides to electric heaters is that they stop working when there’s a power outage. Being able to enjoy a hot shower when you can’t use your computer or turn on your lights can be quite the comfort – and when the power is out, it’s nice to take advantage of any comfort you can find.

 

You should know that not all gas water heaters work without power; in fact, many modern water heaters require power in order to operate control systems. This is especially true of tankless water heaters, which all require control systems to detect when hot water has been requested.

 

When shopping for water heaters, you can look for gas systems that operate without power, but we don’t recommend it; these systems tend to be much less energy-efficient than heaters that rely on powered controls. Instead, we recommend keeping a backup generator in your home to keep essentials powered on the off-chance that the power goes out. 

Which Type Of Water Heater Is Right For You?

For most homes in Winnipeg, we highly recommend opting for gas water heaters. They heat your water more quickly and more consistently, and they cost less over time. 

 

Gas tankless water heaters are becoming especially popular; they provide the highest level of consistency, all with greater energy efficiency and lower environmental impact than hot water tanks. That’s because hot water in storage tanks loses heat over time; tankless heaters do not have this problem. 

 

There are a few circumstances in which we’d recommend electric water heaters. For people who don’t want to finance the purchase of a gas water heater, the lower upfront cost of an electric heater can be a serious boon. They can be an especially good idea if you plan on moving soon, and the higher annual cost of the electric heater will be offset by the lower purchase cost.

 

People who want to lower their carbon footprint can also benefit from electric heaters, which produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gas heaters. 

 

Finally, though gas heaters are quite safe, they do pose a risk of gas leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning, and explosions. Electric water heaters do not; if safety is your top priority, an electric heater might be the right pick. 

Keep Your Water Piping Hot With SWK

At SWK Mechanical, we install water heaters Winnipeg residents and business owners can trust to lower their heating costs and keep their water hot whenever they need it. Call us today; we’ll help you select the perfect water heater for your needs!