Benefits of Natural Gas Water Heaters:
- Quick recovery: Natural gas water heaters heat twice as fast as electric, so you have hot water every time you need it.
- Lower operating costs: Annual gas savings with a gas water heater vs. an electric water heater is 42%*
- Excellent safety record: Natural gas water heaters have been safely providing hot water in more than a million Minnesota homes for years.
- Compact design: Save space by using a compact natural gas water heater rather than a larger electric model.
- Installation options: There is a natural gas water heater for every situation, whether you are building a new home or remodeling.
*Using a three year residential average gas price of $1.06 per Therm and three year average electricity price of $0.91 per KWh - as of November 2008.
Types of Gas Water Heaters
Here are the types of Ruud natural gas water heaters available at Home Service Plus, starting with the most basic unit.
Atmospheric-vent Natural Gas Water Heater
Atmospheric-vent water heaters are the standard type of gas water heaters, which have served millions of homeowners for years. They use room air for combustion and exhaust and an exhaust chimney is installed to a draft hood that sits slightly above the tank. These water heaters use 'gravity' (rising warm air) to exhaust combustion by-products and are vented through the roof. Often the exhaust vent is connected to the furnace vent and they share the same chimney.
✔ Compact unit design
✔ Quick recovery
✔ Low operating costs
✔ High efficiency
✔ Environmentally friendly
Power-vent Natural Gas Water Heater
Power-vent water heaters are the same as the atmospheric models, but with a reengineered exhaust system. The exhaust vent is made from PVC plastic rather than metal, has a blower installed to assist the expulsion of combustion by-products, and can be vented through either the roof or a sidewall.
✔ Compact unit design
✔ Quick recovery
✔ Low operating costs
✔ High efficiency
✔ Environmentally friendly
✔ Flexible installation*
* Requires no chimney, chase or flue. Because of the power-assisted exhaust, it can be placed up to 40' from where it is vented through a sidewall, which makes it easy to fit within even cramped equipment rooms.
Direct-vent Natural Gas Water Heater
Direct-vent water heaters use no room air at all. Instead, the heater uses a 'gravity' system to pull in outside air for combustion and to exhaust combustion by-products. These units can be vented through a sidewall and operate independently of other exhaust systems in the house.
✔ Compact unit design
✔ Quick recovery
✔ Low operating costs
✔ High efficiency
✔ Environmentally friendly
✔ Great for tight construction
Powered direct-vent Natural Gas Water Heater
A hybrid, this model combines the features of power- and direct-vent models. Only outside air for both combustion and exhaust is used, with a blower built into the exhaust flue of the water heater unit. Because of the power-assisted exhaust, the unit can be placed up to 40 feet from a sidewall. It uses PVC plastic pipe as a venting material.
✔ Compact unit design
✔ Quick recovery
✔ Low operating costs
✔ High efficiency
✔ Environmentally friendly
✔ Flexible installation
✔ Perfect for air-tight construction
Condensing Natural Gas Water Heater
Condensing water heaters are a great choice for larger, high water use homes. They are power assisted and are a good choice for tightly constructed homes or when the customer has a high efficiency furnace. They heat up to 129 gallons per hour (GPH) at 90 degrees, compared to 41 GPH for standard water heaters. Condensing natural gas water heaters are a good alternative to tankless water heaters, and provide a high capacity of hot water with less maintenance needed to sustain design efficiency and capacity.
✔ Compact unit design
✔ Quick recovery
✔ Low operating costs
✔ High efficiency
✔ Environmentally friendly
✔ Can achieve 96% thermal efficiency
✔ Higher capacity than most water heaters
For more natural gas water heater product information:
What Size Water Heater Do I Need?
HSP sells and installs 30-, 40-, 50-, and 75-gallon natural gas water heaters. There are two methods for determining the correct water heater size for your home.
Size by Household Needs
This method depends on the number and ages of family members, how you wash dishes and clothes, and the number of bathrooms in your home. Looking at the chart below, the needs of a two-person family with one bathroom and one clothes washer should be adequately met with a 30-gallon water heater, whereas larger families and homes hsould opt for a larger water heater unit.
- For every additional bathroom in your home, add 3.5 gallons to the capacity.
- If you use an automatic dishwasher, add another five gallons to the total.
| 1-2 people |
30 gallons |
| 2-3 people |
40 gallons |
| 3-4 people |
40 gallons |
| 5+ people |
50 gallons |
Size by First-Hour Rating
The second method tells you the amount of hot water the water heater can deliver in one hour.
1. Determine the hour of the day when you use the most water.
2. Use the Activity Chart to find the quantity of hot water you use for each activity during that hour.
3. Add all the quantities for that hour. The total is your first-hour rating.
4. Choose a water heater with a first-hour rating close to the total amount of hot water you use during the hour you selected. The first-hour rating also includes the recovery rate. This is a combination of how much water is stored in the water heater and how quickly the water heater can heat cold water to the desired temperature.
| Clothes washer |
25 to 40 gallons per load |
| Dishwasher |
5 to 10 gallons per load |
| Hand dishwashing |
3 to 4 gallons |
| Tub bath |
15 to 20 gallons |
| Shower |
3 gallons per minute |
| Bathing an infant |
2gallons |
| Shaving |
2 to 3-1/2 gallons |
| Shampooing |
5 gallons |
| Hand washing |
1 to 2 gallons |
| House cleaning |
5 to 12 gallons |
| Food preparation |
3 to 6 gallons |
*BlueFlame.org Minnesota Blue Flame Gas Association
Still unsure what size you need? No problem. The water-heater experts at HSP will ensure you get the right-sized water heater tank, just call 612-342-4610 or request product info and we'll promptly answer your questions.
How Much Does a Water Heater Cost?
The cost of a gas water heater varies depending on type and size. Atmospheric-vent units start at $1,250, including installation, haul away, and city permits. Power-vent water heaters start at $1,800, installation, haul away, and city permits included.
Water heater prices are a big factor, but quality, size, energy efficiency, rebates, warranties, payment/financing and installation should weigh heavily when you’re deciding what gas water heater to buy.
If you live within HSP’s service area – the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and much of greater Minnesota – you can get the following benefits included with the cost of your water heater:
✔ Water heater installation guaranteed within 24 hours - or you'll get $100 back!
✔ High-quality, durable products
✔ Industry leading warranties - up to 12 years on select high-efficiency water heaters
✔ Peace of mind - trusted by Minnesotans for 80+ years
✔ Flexible payment & financing options
✔ Rebates & special offers may be available
Get product, pricing and discount info by completing a short form.
How Long Does a Water Heater Last?
The average life expectancy of a natural gas water heater is about 13 years. With proper water heater maintenance it may last 15 years, but many customers choose to replace their water heater after 12 years and begins leaking or underperforming.
A broken water heater can discharge as much as 75 gallons of water onto your floor. If it isn’t above a concrete floor pitched toward a floor drain, avoid a big mess and possible water damage by replacing your water heater every 12 years.
Even if water heater replacement snuck up on you, it helps to know that today’s high-efficiency models will lower your energy bills. At Home Service Plus, we even offer flexible payment options and no-cost financing to qualifying customers on different models of high-efficiency natural gas water heaters.
