Propane Water Heaters Vs. Electric Water Heaters

Propane water heaters have a lot of advantages to offer compared to electric models. It's a well known fact that water heaters ar the second largest consumer of energy in most homes. As a matter of fact, these machines are responsible for almost 20 percent of energy expenditures according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Average estimates show that showers use 37 percent of a home's hot water, clothes washers use 26 percent, dishwashers use 14 percent and the remainder is used by tubs and sinks. This is a statistic released by the U.S. Department of Energy.

If we continue those calculations, we will discover that a family of four members, each showering five minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water per week. This is a very serious number equaling the amount of a three-year supply of drinking water for one person.

Let's consider the advantages of propane water heaters. According to a statistic released by the Appliance Manufacturers Assoc./Intertek Testing Services, propane water heaters cost one third less to operate than electric water heaters. This same report also showed that propane water heaters can produce hot water nearly twice as quickly as electric water heaters. Another important fact is that a 50-gallon propane water heater can provide as much hot water as a 66- to 80-gallon electric unit in a 2-1/2-bath home. So to sum things up, compared to electric models, those running on propane cost less and heat up the water twice as fast.

To continue the comparison, one must clearly understand why propane water heaters cost less to operate. The main reason is that gas is a much more efficient fuel source for heating water because gas has a much faster recovery rate. Gas can bring cold water back to the set temperature far more quickly than electricity. For example, an electric tank water heater operating at peak performance can only recover hot water at a rate of 20 gallons per hour, whereas propane water heaters have a recovery rate ranging from 50 gallons per hour to hundreds of gallons per hour depending on the efficiency factor and the firing rate capacity of the heater.

Propane water heaters are especially suitable for homes that don't have access to natural gas, because propane can be easily retrofitted into any home. Adding a propane tank and gas piping to a home is usually a very cost efficient option compared to electricity for a heat source. The thing that makes propane so useful is that it operates at higher pressure than natural gas and can use smaller diameter gas piping to provide proper pressure and volume. Using smaller diameter piping reduces costs by lowering labor costs (smaller piping is easier to run) and lowering material costs (smaller diameter piping costs less).