Oil Hot Water Heater Vs. Electric: What Are The Major Differences?

Oil and electric water heaters are two common types of water heater, and each has its pros and cons. If you’re installing a water heater in a home or office, you should know what these are, as then you’ll be able to make a wise purchase.

In this article, oil water heaters will be compared to electric water heaters, and gas water heaters, which are also common, will be mentioned throughout as well for the purpose of comparison.

Oil water heaters are more energy-efficient than electric water heaters, but the latter systems are more affordable. Oil water heaters can heat water faster than most other water heaters, but they do require maintenance often. Electric heaters are good until there’s too much hot water demand; once this happens, these systems fail to produce hot water.

An oil water heater utilizes a tank just like gas and electric water heaters do, and in this tank hot water is stored. Oil water heaters don’t solely run on oil. They also require electricity, as electricity is needed to power several of the components an oil water heater utilizes.

Unlike with electric and gas-powered water heaters, which heat only water, an oil water heater will heat an oil-water mixture. This mixture is exposed to an electric spark, and when this happens it’s ignited and the water gets hot.

Oil heaters are energy-efficient systems, and although energy efficiency isn’t often associated with oil, it’s important to point out that these require less power to heat than, for example, gas-powered systems.

And when your water heater isn’t generating a lot of power to run, it’s not running up your energy bill and taxing the environment. When compared to an electric water heater, it’s clear that the oil-powered system is the more efficient of the two. This is mainly because electric water heaters always require electricity to run, and when there isn’t electricity, they will utilize backup gas power.

Moreover, electric systems don’t heat water as quickly as oil and gas systems do, which means you’ll be using an electric system more than you would be using either of the other two systems. The more time that’s spent running the system, the more energy—and money by extension—are burned.

If you house your system outside, you may need to re-light the pilot light often. This is an inconvenience that can be avoided by keeping the oil heater inside, but then you’ll have to find a way to ventilate the system properly.

Gas heaters also can experience pilot light outages, but not nearly as frequently. Moreover, gas heaters that utilize pilot lights aren’t typically kept outside. If you want to avoid pilot light problems, get a water heater that runs on electricity.

An electric water heater works in the following way. Cold water is brought to the drip tube, and here it’s heated by two heating elements that are inside the tank. Hot water will rise to the top of the tank, and that’s why it’s always quick to come when it’s called for.

Electric water heaters utilize thermostats, temperature and pressure relief valves, drain valves, insulated tanks, and anode rods. A water heater’s heating element will not run if the system is without electricity, but most electric water heaters have some kind of gas-powered backup that will heat water in the event that there’s no electricity.

An electric water heater is probably the most affordable kind of water heater, but the cost will depend on the size and type of heater you’re using. For example, if your system doesn’t require a tank, it won’t be that expensive upfront. You may, however, need to spend more money if you need a lot of hot water often.

The price difference in hot water heaters usually comes from the installation cost. Since an electric heater doesn’t require a ventilation system, installation is far cheaper.