TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- New federal rules taking effect in April will make water heaters more efficient, but the regulations could mean increased product and installation costs for homeowners. In this Angie's List report, what you need to know if your water heater is on its last leg.
New federal standards on water heaters call for higher Energy Factor ratings on virtually all residential gas, electric, oil and tankless water heaters, but the most dramatic changes will be in larger capacity models typically found in bigger homes.
"You will have to buy a heat pump water heater and those water heaters on top of them will have a compressor and an evaporator coil, a whole refrigeration system similar to what your refrigerator has in order to heat the water cheaper. When this happens, it's going to double or triple the price of a new water heater - electric or gas - if it's over 55 gallons," said water heater expert Chip Cochran.
If your current water heater is in a small utility closet or crawl space, you may need to find a new home for an updated model that requires more insulation and equipment.
"It's going to be bigger. It's going to be taller. It's going to take up more room. A lot of water heaters are installed in a very tight quarters. So, all of these things could be a major impact if you are replacing a water heater after April in 2015," said Cochran.
Angie's List says if your water heater is more than 10 years old and it's in a location where a leak would cause damage, you should strongly consider replacing it.
"A lot of people like to wait until a water heater fails. They use the theory why fix it if it's not broke. The problem with that is it never breaks at a convenient time," said Cochran.
Angie Hicks of Angie's List adds: "Your water heater is the second largest consumer of energy in your home right behind your heating and cooling system. So, any improvement in your water heaters efficiency is going to pay dividends in your monthly utility bills."
Don't know how old your water heater is? Look for the model and serial numbers on your unit. That information has the age and gallon capacity coded into it, which a professional can decode.
While increased energy efficiency will decrease operating costs of new water heaters, you may have to pay more for maintenance because of more complex designs and additional electronics.
Remember you can catch the latest Angie's List report every Tuesday morning on WTXL Sunrise.
