What are the areas for judging the finer points of a water heater? The following is a quick reference guide when are ready to select a type and model of water heater for your home:

Fuel type, availability and cost
The fuel type or energy source you use for water heating will not only affect the water heater's annual operation costs but also its size and energy efficiency.

Size
Come up with a target size for your machine that will unite your household's need for hot water and at the same time maximize efficiency.

Energy efficiency
To get the most out of your energy and cost savings, you need to compare the energy efficiency of the various water heaters before you purchase one. Incidentally, water heaters do not have the Energy Star label since 2004. The US Department of Energy back then found the marginal differences between the best-performing models too insignificant to make an impact. Technological innovations however, is set to reverse by 2008, when the DOE put into effect a new criteria.

Costs
Before you buy a water heater, why not estimate its annual operating costs and compare those costs with other less or more energy-efficient models? For those who want to do some interesting math, click here for the formulae you need to use.

Log on to www.justboiler.com and compare the prices of hundreds of varying brands and models.

What are the different types of water heaters, and what does each do? We answer that here in brief.

Conventional storage water heaters
serves as a storage tank of hot water

Demand water heaters
Heats water directly without the aid of a storage tank (the opposite of the above)

Heat pump water heaters
Moves heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly for providing hot water

Solar water heaters
Uses solar energy to provide hot water

tankless coil and indirect water heaters
relies on domestic space heating system to heat water

Kenmore Power Miser 12 (40-gallon electric)

Pros: three inches of foam insulation and two large anodes to manage tank corrosion; comes with a 12-year warranty; largest capacity is 80 gallons

Cons: like all electric water heaters, the Power Miser is lighter on the pocket in terms of price and installation, but in the long run means more spending in the case of areas with high gas prices

Takagi Flash Series T-K2

Pros: tankless water heaters are more energy efficient, heating water on demand; most tankless water heaters are said to generate energy savings of about 20 percent compared to a tank water heater; equipped with built-in freeze protection

Cons: The initial expenditures are far higher than with a conventional tank water heater, and installation can be a complex concern; ConsumerSearch says that most complaints about the Takagi T-K2 were the same commonly associated to tankless water heaters

Bosch PowerStar AE125

Pros: appropriate for small homes or apartments using one hot water application at a time

Cons: but experts say larger families will need a bigger unit

Log on to www.justboiler.com and compare the prices of hundreds of varying brands and models.

Want to see what got rated as "best large gas water heater," and "best natural gas water heater"? Click here for more of Consumer Search, the consumer advocacy site which is also the 15th most visited site in the United States.