Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by Ali Hamza
Every home needs a water heater to provide hot water for the faucets and other plumbing fixtures. They are crucial to the process of heating the water because without them, you would have to manually heat it.
Although there are many different kinds of water heaters on the market, there are primarily two ways to heat water: Gas Instant Water Heater or electricity. Each type of water heater has advantages over the other. You will learn about the main distinctions between an electric and a gas water heater in this article, such as size, cost, and efficiency. But first, let’s find out what they are in reality:
An electric water heater is what?
A form of heater that heats water using electricity is an electric water heater. This indicates that the tank or tank less water heater unit’s heating elements are powered by electricity.
Due to their low initial costs, effective use of energy, and small size, electric water heaters, particularly electric instant or tank less water heaters, are popular in Malaysia.
A gas water heater: what is it?
Although less prevalent than electric water heaters, gas water heaters are also available in Malaysia. As the name suggests, heating water with gas normally involves burning fuel, most frequently natural gas.
Typically, it starts working as soon as a hot water pipe is opened. A sensor monitors the flow of water when the tap is opened, which causes the gas burner to ignite. As a result, water is heated and is available at room temperature from the faucet.
Gas and electric water heater comparison
1. Price of a water heater
The price is one of the main distinctions between gas and electric water heaters. Typically, electric water heaters are less expensive to buy. It costs a little less up front because it has fewer parts and excludes a gas regulator and burner.
Depending on how much water you use each month, the size of your house, and the cost of electricity or gas at the time, a gas or electric water heater’s average monthly operating cost will vary. Gas water heaters typically cost less per month to operate than electric water heaters since gas is typically somewhat less expensive than electricity.
You could be tempted to believe that gas water heaters are always less expensive than electric heaters when operational costs are taken into account for both heaters. But it isn’t always the case. Why? Because even though every home has natural gas pipes, they usually go to the kitchen. You will need to pay extra money to extend the pipes to the spot where you want to install your water heater if you want a gas water heater. Additionally, gas water heaters are often put outside of the bathroom for safety reasons. As a result, the plumber or installer will have to work harder to locate installation space outside of the bathroom. Therefore, even though a gas water heater has a low daily operating cost, the upfront and installation expenditures are typically higher, which is why electricity is primarily used in Malaysia for water heaters.
2. Energy efficiency or environmentally friendly nature
You must weigh the environmental effects of both types of heaters if you want a hot water heater that is environmentally responsible. Electric water heaters tend to be more environmentally friendly when compared to gas water heaters. This is due to the fact that electricity may be produced using a variety of renewable energy sources, such as solar or hydropower. Therefore, by choosing to use energy to run your water heater, you are contributing to the effort to lower global warming.
On the other hand, only natural gas can be used to power gas water heaters. The act of extracting a gas itself harms the environment because it releases a lot of greenhouse gases. Additionally, gas water heaters are less environmentally beneficial than electric heaters due to their lower efficiency.
3. Size of Water Heater
There are two primary categories to choose from when it comes to water heater sizes: tank or tankless. Tank water heaters often demand more room and more time to heat up, but they provide you with steady hot water and pressure. Tank less water heaters, on the other hand, are smaller in size but have subpar water pressure.
An electric tank less water heater often has a smaller dimension and may be mounted easily on the bathroom wall. On the other hand, while being tank less, gas tank less water heaters are still much bigger than their electric counterparts. This is so that Gas Instant Water Heater can prevent gas leaks by having additional pieces like a burner, regulator, and other features. Furthermore, because the gas water heater must be built outside of your house, you must allow for space for the pipes that will leave your house, which could require more space.
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