Electric Hot Water Cylinder: Advantages and Disadvantages

Basically, an electric water heating system is a water heater that uses electricity to heat your home’s water. It doesn’t use gas as a fuel source or a heat pump system to transfer heat into your water. This is a very smart and affordable choice for many homes in New Zealand.

What makes these water heaters such a great choice for so many? Electric hot water cylinder systems are well-known for these awesome benefits:

Lower Upfront Costs. One of the very first things many of us look at when purchasing new products, electric hot water cylinders or not, is the price. We want a good product for our money, and costs that are too high are often a quick turn-off.

You’ll be glad to know that electric hot water heaters tend to be much cheaper than gas or heat pump hot water models. You can often find fantastic, modern models at reasonable prices. Better models will cost more, but they will be worth the price because they’ll offer you excellent service and quality every single day.

Plenty Of Options. Electric water heaters are very common in the world and New Zealand. Therefore, there’s a lot of focus on this type of water heater in the market. You will have plenty of options to choose from when you shop for your new water heater.

This means that you’ll have a higher chance of finding a water heater that’s just right for you, not a water heater that’s near-perfect but lacks in some areas. We recommend looking at all of your options and comparing the qualities of your top choices before making your actual decision.

No Relighting. Electric hot water cylinders run on electricity, so they do not have a pilot light that has to keep being relit every time it goes out. This saves you time and frustration in the future.

It might be a minor perk, but it certainly makes your life a little bit easier.

Safety. Safety should always be a concern when you are shopping for any major fixture like a water heater, especially if you have a family with vulnerable members in it. Households with small children or free-roaming pets should always take their safety into consideration before a new water heater is installed.

Water heaters deal with heat and hot water, so they can be dangerous if used improperly. Electric hot water cylinders are a good, safer choice because they don’t run on gas and therefore don’t have a chance to spring any dangerous gas leaks.

Be sure your water heater is installed by a professional so that you know it’s set up right. If you really want to take an extra step to make your home safe, please maintain your water heater correctly and have it inspected once every year. If you notice anything wrong with your water heater, you should have it examined by a technician as soon as possible, regardless of when your water heater was last inspected.

Energy Efficiency. Electric water heaters, especially newer models that are designed for efficiency, use their energy very well. Your new electric hot water cylinder will make good use of the energy it uses to save you money on your electricity bill.

Electric hot water cylinders have many incredible perks, and you’ll most likely benefit from all of them. Still, there are some disadvantages that you should be aware of.

Most people feel that the pros heavily weigh out the cons in this situation, but it’s still smart to be aware of these negative qualities. You can think about these disadvantages and compare them to the advantages listed above:

They’re Slower To Heat Than Gas Hot Water Heaters. Even though they’re wonderfully efficient and will use electricity well, electric water heaters tend to be a bit slower than their gas counterparts. How quickly your water heater heats water will depend on the model you purchase.

They Have Higher Operating Costs. Electric water heaters tend to have higher operating costs despite their cheaper upfront costs. How much your operating costs are on average will depend on the water heater you purchase and how much water you use.

Please note that there are easy, everyday things you can do to lower your hot water usage, regardless of what type of water heating system you use. Think about making a conscious effort to only use hot water when you absolutely need it.

They Won’t Work During Power Outages. Electric hot water cylinders need electricity to function, so if a power outage occurs, you won’t be able to use it until power returns to your home.