Gas Hot Water: The Pros and Cons

Gas hot water is one of the most popular options in Australian homes, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons.

Pros

Gas hot water is cheap to run

A hot water system connected to natural gas or LPG is one of the most cost effective ways to supply hot water to your home. In fact, only solar hot water is cheaper in terms of running costs. Modern hot water systems are incredibly efficient, regardless of whether you choose gas storage (hot water is stored in a tank) or continuous flow (water passes through a heat exchanger when needed).

Instant gas hot water systems are compact

Continuous flow hot water systems have no tank, which makes them easy to install in almost any home. Not only are modern systems compact and easy to install, but most of them feature sleek, contemporary design that complements your home.

Long-lasting and durable

Tankless hot water systems are fantastically tough and durable. A properly installed and well maintained continuous flow system will keep you and your family supplied with hot water for 20 years or more. Quality, modern systems are built to withstand our tough Australian conditions. They’ll function just as well on a freezing cold winter morning as they do in the sweltering heat of an Aussie summer.

Never run out of hot water

Despite Australia’s warm climate, Australians love their long, hot showers and baths. If you and your family fall into this category, then an instant (tankless) hot water system is the way to go. Why? Well, it simply means you’ll never run out of hot water again. As long as you have a functioning cold water mains supply feeding your water heater, your water heater will keep on warming your H2O whenever you need it.

Versatility

Another huge benefit to gas hot water systems is their versatility. There’s so many options available to you when considering which gas system to install in your home. Whether you go for instant or storage, LPG or natural gas, indoor or outdoor models, you can be sure that you’ll get years of trouble-free hot water service for your home.

Cons

There’s no such thing as the perfect hot water system, in the same way that there’s no such thing as the perfect person or the perfect car. When choosing your hot water system, it’s important to consider what’s most important to you, which can be traded off against the perceived cons. Let’s have a look at them.

Instant gas hot water can be more expensive to buy

A tankless gas system is usually more expensive to purchase than, say, an electric system or a storage gas system (although the difference in price between tankless and storage is usually small). Initial cost is obviously an important factor when considering which system you want for your home. However, it is also important to remember that, once installed, a gas water heater will be much cheaper to run than an electric option.

Multiple units

Modern instant hot water systems are designed to efficiently heat water in the typical average demand household. But that doesn’t mean they are a one-size-fits-all option. For larger homes with more than two bathrooms, you may need more than one hot water unit. For example, if your home regularly needs hot water in two or more bathrooms at the same time as in the laundry and kitchen, it’s likely that a second water heater will be required. It’s best to speak to your plumber who can advise you on the best option in this scenario.

Size may matter

We’ve explained just how compact instant hot water systems are, but the flipside is that gas storage hot water systems can be big and chunky. Of course, if you have lots of space on your property, then that won’t necessarily be an issue for you. But it is prudent to remember that something like a 200l standing hot water tank is going to take up a considerable amount of space. As an example, the Aquamax N/G 50C  hot water system – which boasts a 155l tank – is around 1.6m tall, 52cm wide and 61cm deep. It’s certainly not a Goliath but it probably will be noticeable in a smaller yard, without the implementation of some clever landscaping.

Interested in learning more about water heaters? We have Hot Water Systems: The Complete Guide to help you out.