When it comes to energy consumption in the home a water heater ranks just behind air conditioners and furnaces so when making a choice a gas model answers your efficiency and economics needs. Coupled with energy efficiency, gas water heaters are also time efficient, heating water twice as fast as electricity, less expensive to run and are faster at heating a tank of water than all other forms of energy.

In a water heater, heat energy is forced into water. Water in a water heater is heated in a similar way to water in a pot placed on a burner. Natural gas is the fuel used to run several water heaters. Propane and electricity can also be employed to power some water heaters.

Propane and electricity however cost too much to be used extensively for heating water. Because gas water heaters are more efficient than electric because you can heat more water faster as the burners are capable of higher temperatures than electric elements. The water heater receives gas through a valve in the wall. Buried underneath the tank of the water heater is the burner that heats the water.

Since thermostats are designed to sense and regulate temperature, one is needed for the proper function of the water heater. As you change the water flow, a water valve or thermostat controls the heating elements or burner flame to maintain a constant temperature. Like in the automobile engine, a spark lights the gas in the burner. The igniter works in the same way as that in a gas grill.

Toxic emissions are channelled out through the tank to an exhaust-pipe like protrusion known as the vent. The venting system cannot perform effectively without a PVC pipe that helps to get rid of the emissions. Vents in more modern heaters now function with the aid of fans the help to pipe out fumes through a wall. Cold water is also supplied to the heater to serve a purpose.

A cylindrical tank stores water, and once it is heated the water is supplied to faucets through internal pipes in the system. There is another type of water heater known simply as the tankless version. This variation can be used with dishwashers or a clothes washing machine by circling water through a series of burners.

The absence of a tank results in water being able to flow continuously through the system. They are also imbued the ability to maximize their energy input. Tankless water heaters, however require much larger gas requirements than for storage water heaters.

If you are someone always in a hurry, a tankless heater may not be appropriate since the water does not start heating until the faucet is turned on. A tankless heater has a zero storage facility for water. In the case of tankless heaters, the water, after being heated is only routed through the heater to the faucets for eventual use.