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Plumber

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

When looking for a San Antonio plumber there are a few key things you should look for. Is the person you call an actual licensed plumber? Does this plumber have insurance? Is this plumber someone I can trust?

These are very important questions to ask yourself before you hire a plumber. Finding out if someone is licensed is an easy thing to do. Most states have web sites that list all the plumbers and plumbing companies working in that state. When you have a plumber in your home or business you could always ask him to see his license. If they can’t produce one there is something wrong.

Most state require that a plumbing company has a minimum amount of insurance on file to perform plumbing work in the state that they work in. Usually this is on file with the state that they are doing work in. Having insurance is for your protection. All sorts of things can go wrong when performing plumbing work at a home or business. If the plumber you are thinking about hiring doesn’t have issuance you should probably talk to someone else.

The last and most important thing to think about when hiring a plumber is can you trust them. The best way to find this out is get a list of references or see if there are any reviews about this particular plumber on the internet. The best way I have found to tell whether someone is trust worthy is to talk to them face to face. You can usually tell if someone is blowing smoke or they are sincere.

Now that I have shed some light on how to pick the right plumber for you get calling. If you are looking for a San Antonio plumber I hope that is Buck’s Plumbing but if not just follow the suggestions I have laid out above and you will do fine.

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Plumbing Repair San Antonio

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

Seeking same day plumbing repair San Antonio services? If you need a San Antonio Plumber today give Buck’s Plumbing a call. Our plumbers are never to fare away. No matter what kind of plumbing repair in San Antonio you might need give us a call. We can handle any kind of residential or commercial plumbing repair in San Antonio you might need.

No matter what kind of plumbing repair you might need we all ways offer same day serve at a competitive price. In most cases we can give you a price quote right over the phone. You are in good hands with Buck’s Plumbing. Give us a call today for any plumbing repair in San Antonio you might have.

Don’t trust your plumbing repairs in San Antonio to any one but Buck’s Plumbing.

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Plumber San Antonio

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

A great Plumber San Antonio offers? Look no further. Are you tired of being charged more than you should for a plumber in San Antonio. Give Buck’s Plumbing a call today for all your plumbing and San Antonio Water Heater needs. If you have dealt with some of the big plumbing companies in San Antonio you know how great it is to rely on a local San Antonio plumber that knows who you are and will give you an honest assessment of what you need.

Give us a call you will be happy you did. We will send one of our San Antonio Plumbers right over.

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Tankless Water Heater: How to Troubleshoot a Tankless Water Heater

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

Tankless water heaters are much more technical than the conventional San Antonio water heaters that people are used to. Tankless water heaters have lots of electrical controls and different parts that can possibly go wrong. With regular water heaters there are only a few different components that can go bad but with tankless water heaters you can get yourself in trouble pretty fast. That being said there are still a couple of simple items that you can check to troubleshoot your tankless water heater system.

The biggest problem that we find with tankless water heaters in San Antonio is that sometimes the water heater is not sensing the water flow. Most of the tankless water heater service calls we go on this is the case. This can be caused by three things. Most of these common causes are relatively easy to diagnose.

The first and most common thing is that the screen on the incoming water on the tankless heater is clogged up. This screen can get clogged by debris that is in your water or by lime deposits that can clog the filter. The second thing that can cause the tankless water heater not to sense flow is there is a lime or hard water deposit inside the heaters heat exchange. This is cause by not having a water softener or water conditioner on your hot water system. The last reason that could cause a tankless system to not register flow is the flow meter is broken. This doesn’t happen very much but can happen.

The second major cause of a tankless water heater not to work is improper vent piping. Tankless water heaters use a different vent configuration most with a stainless steel or PVC vent pipe. If the vent pipe is not installed correctly or has become restricted it will cause the tankless water heater to stop working. Sometimes we see that a plumber has installed a tankless system and did not understand that the vent system has a different configuration than a conventional tankless water heater system.

The third major cause of a tankless water heater not working is low gas pressure. Most tankless water heaters use 180,000 or 199,000 BTU’s. That is much more than a regular gas water heater system. A good rule of thumb is that a tankless water heater need at least a ¾ inch gas feed. This can still not be enough gas if there is a big load on your gas system or you have a long run to get gas to your tankless heater. The best idea is to use a manometer to see how much static pressure gas you have and how much working pressure gas you have when the system is running. Each type of tankless water heater has a minimum amount of gas you must have to keep your tankless water heater working.

I hope this article helped you with your tankless water heater problem. If you are still having problem give us a call we will be happy to send a San Antonio Plumber over to help you.

Posted in Plumbing Info, Tankless Water Heater Info, Water Heaters Info | Tagged Plumbing Info, Tankless Water Heater Info, Uncategorized, Water Heaters Info | Leave a comment

Water Heater: How to troubleshoot an electric water heater.

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

Before we start this electric water heater trouble shooting tutorial I need to explain a few things. Electric water heaters use electricity to heat your water. Electricity can kill you if you do not know what you are doing. If you do not understand how to do something that is spelled out in this article DO NOT DO IT. The few hundred dollars you will save by doing the work yourself is not worth you getting hurt or injured. Good luck explaining to your wife and family that you were to cheep to call a Plumber in San Antonio to fix your water heater and now you can’t work for a couple of weeks. I know at my house that would not go over very well. But if you have some technical knowledge and have the drive to try and take this project on yourself you can save a couple of bucks.

Electric water heaters can go out and not need to be replaced. If you have electric water heater in San Antonio that stops heating your water but it is not leaking the first thing you want to check is the reset button. This is a red button inside the top cover plate. The rest button is usually part of the top thermostat. You can’t miss it when you take off the cover off.

If you push the reset button and it does not start heating your water or the rest button pops right back out, then we start on phase two. For the rest of the trouble shooting you need to have an amp meter that can read olms and volts. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have power going from your house to the water heater. The power coming into your water heater should be 220 volts. This means the top thermostat should have 220 volts going to it and the bottom thermostat should also have 220 volts going to it. If there is no power going to the top thermostat than there is a problem with your electrical service going to your water heater. There is a breaker box somewhere that should be labeled water heater. In most cases this breaker box is in the garage but sometimes for San Antonio Water Heaters it is outside next to the AC unit. If you have 220 volts going to the top element but not the bottom element than you probably have a bad upper thermostat or a broken wire going to the bottom thermostat.

After you have established that you have the right amount of power going to the thermostats now it is time to make sure you have power going to the elements. The thermostats have wires going from the thermostat to the elements. Make sure you have power going to the elements. If you don’t have power going from the thermostat to the elements than you probably have a bad thermostat.

If you have checked power to all your electric water heater components it is time to check to see if your elements are working. This is when you unplug your water heater or turn the breaker off. If you are turning the breaker off make sure no one can turn it back on without you knowing. Use your amp meter to test the olms of the elements on your water heater. Depending on the type of element you have will tell you what kind of reading you should get. After you find out which element is bad swap it out. Changing an element on an electric heater can fix your problem but you can also cause some more problems later. Check out our changing an element on an electric water heater article to find more information.

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San Antonio Tankless Water Heaters: What kind of water heater should I get?

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Buck's Plumbing

What are the advantages of having a tankless water heater instead of a regular tank style water heater? Tankless water heaters have the ability to give you hot water without ending. Tankless water heaters also use less energy because they only work when you are running hot water. Tankless water heaters can also cut down on the potential loss of property when they go bad.

Tankless water heaters heat water as the cold water runs through the tankless unit. As the water runs through the heat exchanger the tankless water heater come to life. As the water goes through the heat exchange there is a highly consecrated flame, about 10 times hotter than a regulr water heater’s flame, heats the water. This flam heats the water as long as you run your hot water. Most tankless water heaters can run between 7 ½ to 9 ½ gallons per minute at a 40 degree temperature rise.

Sense your tankless water heater does not run until you turn it on it uses a lot less energy than a regular water heater. A standard water heater is constantly trying to heat the water all the times. Even when you are away, sleeping, or on vacation your water heater is still trying to heat your water. This is not very efficient way to supply hot water to your home. Tankless water heaters can in some cases cut your energy usage in half in one year’s time. This can add up to a lot of saving on your water heating system.

Using a Tankless water heater in San Antonio can also keep your house from damage when you have a water heater failure. A traditional tank type water heater stores between 30 and 75 gallon of water. When they go out you have a large amount of water all over your house. Tankless water heaters don’t have a tank to rupture so you don’t have to worry about a flood from your water heater going out.

Tankless water heater can be a great alternative to the traditional water heater. You can have never ending hot water no mater how much water you use. The tankless water heaters can cut down on the amount of energy you use to heat your water. Tankless water heaters can also keep you from having a big flood when you water heater goes out.

If you need a San Antonio Plumber to install your tankless water heater give us a shout we will be glad to help you.

Posted in Plumbing Info, Tankless Water Heater Info, Water Heaters Info, Water Softener Info | Tagged Plumbing Info, San Antonio Plumber, san antonio water heater, Tankless Water Heater Info, Tankless Water Heater San Antonio, Water Heaters Info, Water Softener Info | Leave a comment

San Antonio Plumbing: Do I have to hire a profesional?

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

We live in the great state of Texas and the last thing that the state of Texas is going to tell you is that you have to hire a professional to do the plumbing work at your home. All home owners in Texas can work on what ever plumbing related item they want. But the question to ask yourself is, Do I want to do this work my self?

In some cases plumbing can be really easy and it is great to save some money and fix your problem yourself. In some cases plumbing repairs can involve stuff that is very dangerous and could cause damage to your home or building.

Repairing water lines in walls that have to be sweated back together can be a hazardous undertaking. Using a torch in side a wall has the potential of catching a home or business on fire. If you are not comfortable with your “torch skills” i would recommend out sourcing this to someone that has experience doing this kind of work and has enough insurance to cover any damages if they mess up.

Water heaters can be an easy swap out or can be a pain in the butt. When ever you call a plumbing out to your home that plumbing is required by the state and city he is working in to bring your water heater up to code. Code upgrades on water heaters and be quite expensive especially when you throw in a pressure reducing valve and a thermal expiation tank. But the thing to remember is a water heater it a potential bomb or carbon monoxide leak waiting to go bad if someone doesn’t know what they are doing when they install it.

When you take on your own plumbing repair job don’t forget that in San Antonio water heaters, water softeners, and plumbing pipe replacements over nine feet require a city permit even when a home owner is doing the work them selves.

Good luck with your plumbing repairs or fixture replacements. If you find that you do want to hire a San Antonio Plumber give us a call we would be happy to help.

Posted in Plumbing Info, Water Heaters Info, Water Leak Info, Water Softener Info | Tagged San Antonio Plumber, San Antonio Plumbers | Leave a comment

Water Leak: Save your hard earned money and try to fix it yourself.

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

Trickling pipes are a common dilemma in a majority of households. There are various factors that cause a Water Leak in San Antonio. Figuring out which way we need to fix the leak is the most important thing in a water leak situation. Most of the ways to resolve a leaking pipe revolve around replacing part of or all of the pipes close to the leak. Piping repairs or replacements can get expensive. So how do you fix trickling pipes yourself? Try and figure the problem out on your own. If you can see where the water is coming from then you have the worst piece of the job behind you. After you have located where the leak is coming from you have to figure out what sort of piping you are working with. There are four main sorts of water piping. There are all sorts of sub categories to the main different types but every single one of the sub category of piping fall into PVC water pipe, copper pipe, Pex water pipeing, and steel water pipe.

PVC piping, copper piping, steel piping and most pex piping repair parts are sold at the local plumbing supply house. If you are working on your plumbing venture on the weekend or after hours Home Depot and Lows carry a limited selection of parts. Just know a 10 dollar hour employee at Home Depot is not a San Antonio plumbing specialist, if he was he would be working for a plumbing company. Be careful of the advice they offer you. Sometimes there advice can lead to more problems than you had before you started. But on the flip side some times you find a retired master plumber working at one of the big box stores for extra cash and those guys are great.

When you have figured out which sort of material you are working using you want figure out which kinds of tools you will need to cut and join the kind of water line you are working with to fix you leak. PVC water pipe is the easiest all you need is a PVC saw, glue, and primer. The glue and primer are specific to the breed of PVC you are working with. Copper piping demands a torch, copper cutting tool, sand material, fitting brush, solder, flux, acid brush, and map gas or a propane tank. Copper piping can be among the harder repairs to accomplish. When working with Pex Piping you have to have the special tolls that the manufacture calls for. The tool that is produced for which type of Pex Pipe you are working with. If you use a tool that is not made for that type of Pex tubing it is possible to have complications with leaks reoccurring and you will in a lot of circumstances lose the warranty on the rest of the piping system from the manufacture. Metal Pipe fixes are the most involved to accomplish if you actually do the repair correctly. Metal piping fixes on galvanized pipe or other steel pipe require a conduit cutting tool, a threader water line wrenches, teflon tape and pipe dope.

Most plumbing water leak repairs are not brain surgery. Flip off the water to the building or shut off valve to your house. Doing so stops the water to your house. Open an outside hose bib, give it about 15 minutes to drain the water lines. After the water has drained down cut the area of piping out which you need to repair, this is the section of pipe that was leaking. Once the repair is completed turn the water back on slowly. If you turn the water on to fast you could trigger a water hammer and that could make leaks in other places in the residence and you will need to start off the process all over again.

I hope this guide has shed some lite on water leak repairs for you. It isn’t to hard to work through most plumbing issues. If you are in the San Antonio area and don’t want to mess with this your self or you couldn’t get the repair to work out like you wished and you need a San Antonio plumber contact Buck’s Plumbing we will be happy to help you out. Good luck with the wonderful world of plumbing.

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San Antonio Plumbers: What is a plumber in San Antonio TX

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

To have a legal operating plumbing company you must have a master plumber to be responsible for the training and the work completed by all other types of plumbers at that company. Journeyman plumbers in San Antonio are allowed to perform unsupervised plumbing work on residential or commercial properties in Texas. The tradesman plumber in San Antonio is allowed to work unsupervised on residential single family dwellings. The tradesman plumber is not allowed to perform unsupervised plumbing work on commercial properties. A plumber’s apprentice can assist in completing plumbing jobs under direct supervision of a licensed master, journeyman, or tradesman plumber. Plumber’s apprentices are in training to become a tradesman or journeyman plumber.

What is a Plumber in San Antonio Texas? What do San Antonio Plumbers do? Who oversees plumbers in the San Antonio area? What is the difference between having San Antonio Plumbers perform my plumbing work and letting a handy man take care of it?

A plumber in San Antonio has to be licensed through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. There are basically four different types of plumbers in San Antonio. The highest level of licensing for plumbers in San Antonio Texas is a master plumber. The next level of plumbing license for plumbers in San Antonio is the journeyman’s license. After journeyman the next level of a plumbing license for plumbers in San Antonio is the tradesman license. The beginning level of a plumber is the plumber’s apprentice.

San Antonio Plumbers are regulated by the state of Texas and the city of San Antonio. All workers performing plumbing work in San Antonio have to be registered with the state of Texas. Each plumbing company in San Antonio has to be registered with the state of Texas and the city of San Antonio. The state of Texas requires plumbing companies to have a minimum of 300,000 dollars. All plumbing companies registered with the state of Texas are listed on the state board of plumbing examiners web site.

There are a few reasons why you want to hire a licensed plumber in San Antonio. The first reason is because that plumber is working for a company that has the required insurance to perform plumbing work. The next reason you should hire a plumber for your plumbing needs is that the plumber that comes to your home or business has been trained in plumbing code and passed a code and practical applications test given by the state of Texas. There are a lot of things that can go wrong if someone tries to perform plumbing work that does not know what they are doing. Your water system can become contaminated getting some one sick. If someone is working on a gas line they could cause a fire of an explosion. If someone is working on a venting system they could cause a carbon dioxide leak that could make people sick of even kill someone.

We hope that when you have a plumbing problem in San Antonio you call Buck’s Plumbing but if you don’t, we hope after reading this you call a licensed plumbing company to take care of whatever plumbing issues you have.

Buck’s Plumbing San Antonio Texas

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Plumbers: What to look for when you are looking for a plumber.

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

When looking for a plumber there are a few key things you should look for. Is the person you call an actual licensed plumber? Does this plumber have insurance? Is this plumber someone I can trust?

The last and most important thing to think about when hiring a plumber is can you trust them. The best way to find this out is get a list of references or see if there are any reviews about this particular plumber on the Internet. The best way I have found to tell whether someone is trust worthy is to talk to them face to face. You can usually tell if someone is blowing smoke or they are sincere.

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Water softener in San Antonio: What do they realy do?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

Water Softeners in San Antonio Texas

Most homes in San Antonio are pre plumbed for a water softener system. In most San Antonio homes there is a water stub out and drain stub out in the garage area. This is called being pre plumbed for a water softener. If your San Antonio home is pre plumbed for a water softener than your water softener installation should be able to be completed in one day.

If your San Antonio home does not have a water softener stub out then there is a little more work that has to be done to install a water softening system. If your home is not plumbed for a water softener then you have to install a water softener loop. In most cases this entails running water piping in your yard to where a home owner wants there water softener to be installed. this can take between one and two days in most cases.

Problems from not having a Water Softener in San Antonio

San Antonio has some of the hardest water in the United States. Hard water takes a toll on your plumbing fixtures and your water heater. Hard water also interferes with all types of cleaning. Cleaning problems start when the cleaners do not fully remove dirt and grime. Over time, clothes washed in hard water may look dingy and feel harsh and scratchy. White clothing continually washed in hard water will gradually show a grayish tinge. Dishes and glassware washed in dishwashers using hard water develop films and spots. Hard water causes films on glass shower doors, walls and bathtubs. Hair washed in hard water may become dull and have a lifeless looking(this is my wife’s biggest hard water hate). Soaps combine with dissolved calcium and magnesium to form soap curds or soap scum. Soap scum is difficult to remove from sinks and appliances.

When heated, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are removed from the water and produce a scale buildup in your hot water heater and your hot water piping system. This build up can look like rocks in your water heater or a white coating inside of your water lines. A large scale buildup slows the heating process and requires more energy to heat water. Water heaters with large accumulations of mineral buildup will have shorter life spans and your water heater tank will prematurely rupture. Scale deposits also corrode and plug plumbing fixtures and accumulate in other appliances affecting their performance.

Benefits of Water softeners in San Antonio

After installing a water softener in your home your dishes look cleaner. A water softener will actually help you to use less cleaning products when performing regular washing of your dishes. After installing a water softener your clothes last longer. This is because the hard water is not getting into the fabric of the clothes and causing them to become brittle. Your whites will also keep looking white longer. Water softeners also help to keep your plumbing fixtures lasting longer. Your faucets and sinks will no longer have the build up of lime deposits that cause the inside components of your fixtures to seize up. A water softener can also extend the life of your water heater and cut down on the amount of maintenance needed to keep your water heater working correctly.

If you are in need of a San Antonio Plumber to install your water softener give us a call.

Posted in Plumbing Info, Water Softener Info | Tagged Plumbing Info, Water Softener Info, Water Softener San Antonio | Leave a comment

San Antonio Water Heaters: Tips and good practices.

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

Most home owners in San Antonio don’t know that there water heater could last quite a bit longer than the previous one did. There are not too many things that can cause a water heater failure. If you have a water heater in San Antonio there are some easy things you can do to extend the life of your water heater. Most of the preventative maintenance is easy to do and it doesn’t cost that much for a plumber in San Antonio to perform.

Water heaters in San Antonio can have a failure because of several things but the largest cause of San Antonio water heaters to fail is hard water. Lime builds up in the tank and causes havoc on water heaters in San Antonio. This is actually not that hard of a thing to prevent. In San Antonio your water heater needs to be flushed every six months, if you don’t have a water softener. If you have a water softener we still recommend flushing your San Antonio water heater at least once a year. Flushing your water heater helps to keep any unwanted debris out of your tank. Flushing your water heater also forces you to look at the water heater to see if there are any other problems with your water heater tank or any of the other components on the water heater.

Most home owners and business owners never think about their water heater until it breaks. Usually if you let you do not perform any maintenance on your San Antonio water heater the cost of repairs are double, triple or you might have to replace your water heater. This cost a lot more that a little tender love and care every once in a while. You wouldn’t drive your car without changing the oil but most people run their water heaters until it just dies. What would your Dad say if you did that to your car? I remember what I was told when I let a repair on my first car turn into a thousand dollar expense. The only difference between your car and your plumbing systems is most people’s Dads were not plumbers so we never got that talk about plumbing. If you have a commercial water heater you know how expensive a commercial water heater can be. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a piece of mind to know what is going on with your water heater rather than the “O NO” it’s Friday night and I don’t have any hot water. What is this going to cost me and I hope someone has the parts.

Most water heater manufactures have a detailed list of everything that they recommend for routine maintenance on your water heater. Some things are easy to handle and others can be a little involved. The best idea, but I’m a plumber, is to call a good local plumber that you trust and have them figure out what you need and what it will cost. If you are in San Antonio I hope that plumber is Buck’s Plumbing, but if it’s not just make sure you haven’t called a plumber that just wants to replace your water heater because he is trying to make a few dollars. If your San Antonio plumber can’t explain what needs to be done and why, you should probably call someone else.

(PS that call should be to Buck’s Plumbing)
Buck’s Plumbing
210-348-8084

Posted in Plumbing Info, Water Heaters Info, Water Softener Info | Tagged Plumbing Info, san antonio water heater, water heater, Water Heaters Info, Water Softener Info | Leave a comment

San Antonio Tankless Water Heaters: Tankless Water Heaters vs Tank Style Water Heaters

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Buck's Plumbing

Tankless Water Heaters -vs – Tank Type Water Heaters

A lot of people have been asking questions about tankless water heaters in San Antonio. What are the benefits of tankless water heaters vs. tank type water heaters in San Antonio Texas? There are four main factors that you have to consider when deciding what kind of water heater you would like to have installed in your home. For home owners in San Antonio the first thing they think about is energy conservation and how much money they will save. Energy conservation is usually the reason why most home owners entertain the idea of installing a tankless water heater instead of the conventional tank type water heater. The next thing that most home owners want is more hot water. Most people don’t really know how much hot water they need for their home. The third thing you must take in account is what changes need to be made to your home to accommodate your new style of water heater. For some homes it is easy to transition to a tankless water heater, for others the process is more difficult. The last factor that you must consider is the cost of installation of the water heater you chose. This is usually the biggest factor in choosing what type of water heater people choose to install in their home.

Energy conservation is usually the first reason people consider installing a tankless water heater in San Antonio. A tankless water heater uses gas or electricity ONLY when you are running your water heater. If you have a tank type water heater your water heater is ALWAYS using gas or electricity whether you are running your hot water. In a tank type water heater the water has to be constantly heated so that when you turn on your hot water there is enough hot water in reserve to keep up with the amount of water you need. With a tankless water heater it heats the water as you use the hot water. The tankless water heater uses more energy or gas when it comes on but only for a short period of time. When you compare the two types of water heaters, the tankless water heater uses about 1/2 of the amount of electricity or gas in a year that a conventional water heater would use. The longer your tankless water heater is used in you home, the more energy and money you will save.

Before choosing a water heater you will have installed in your house, figure out how much hot water you need. Tank type water heaters come in sizes ranging from 20 gallons to 100 gallons. Water tank type water heaters also have something called a recovery rate. This is how many gallons of water it can produce in a specific amount of time. Tankless water heaters do not have a reserve of hot water but have a maximum gallon per minute flow at a certain temperature rise. If you flow more water than what the tankless water heater is sized for, you will not have hot water. If you have a large family and some of your family members like to take long showers, the tank type water heater that came with your house is probably not keeping up with your family’s hot water needs. This doesn’t mean that a different tank type water heater would not work. Don’t forget tank type water heaters come in a large range of sizes. However, many times a bigger hot water heater will not fit in the space for the old water heater.. If this is your situation then a tank-less water heater is going to be the only option you have to keep up with your family’s hot water needs.

When you are trying to decide whether to install a tankless water heater or stay with your tank type water heater you need to look at what else will need to do to accommodate your new style of water heater. If you are looking to install a whole house tankless water heater there are a couple of things that usually have to be changed or adjusted. For a house using a gas water heater most of the changes are not too big of a deal. Tankless gas water heaters need a bigger gas line than conventional tank type water heaters. Most tank type water heaters only have a ½” gas line that feeds them. Tankless water heaters need a minimum of a ¾” gas line. The plumber you hire can size your gas system to make sure it is balanced to accommodate the extra load of your new water heater. Tankless gas water heaters also require a different type of vent pipe than tank type water heaters. If you install a tankless gas water heater you will have to install a new water heater vent piping. These two issues can be minimized by installing your new tankless water heater outside. Most manufactures make an outside unit that can withstand the San Antonio summer heat and the cold spells we get in the winter. Installing your tankless water heater outside brings up a different issue: your water piping must be rerouted to the location of your new water heater. If you have an electric tank type water heater and you want to install an electric tankless water heater, a large amount of electrical work will be required. Most houses have a 200 to 300 amp electrical system. Whole house electric tanklees water heaters require a lot of power. Some brands need a 200 amp service for just the water heater and sometimes that is all some houses have. That means you not only need aplumber but a qualified electrician to complete your project, so houses have to have a whole new service run to their house to accommodate an electric tankless water heater. The last thing that you need to think about, whether you have an electric water heater or a gas water heater, is a water softener. In San Antonio the water is very hard. In most places in San Antonio the water is eighteen parts hard. If you don’t have a water softener you really need to think about having one installed. If you decide on installing a tankless water heater and you don’t have a water softener you will have continual issues with scale build up. Most plumbing companies that are certified to install tankless water heaters can offer you a monthly or quarterly service plan to keep scale build up from breaking your water heater.

After you have decided a tankless water heater is going to work in your home , you now have to look at the cost involved in installing a tankless water heater or a conventional water heater. Tankless water heaters cost between three or four times as much as a conventional tank type water heater. Keep in mind that a tankless water heater will use less gas or energy depending on what kind of tankless water heater you have. A water heater is a piece of equipment just like a car or an air conditioner and it requires preventative maintenance. If you take care of your water heater it will last you a long time. Most home owners don’t take care of their water heaters. The only time they think about them is when they break. If you opt for a tankless water heater, the only way you will get a return on your investment is if you take the time to perform preventative maintenance. You can also hire a competent plumber to take care of your water heater for you, and most home owners find it is easier to make it someone else’s responsibility. Conventional water heaters are cheaper and you can set them and forget about them. There is maintenance that is supposed to be done on tank type water heaters also, but if you don’t do it the water heater will still last about ten years without any major problems.

Tankless water heaters are a great fit for some home owners and not so great for others. I hope we have been able to give you enough information to make an informed decision. Weigh all the factors and see if a tankless water heater will work for you. If you are having a hard time call Buck’s Plumbing and we will be happy to send a licensed certified San Antonio plumber out to help you with your water heater decision.

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