Water heaters last a very long time, but eventually, even the best ones wear out. When the old workhorse finally gives up, consider these options for water heater replacement.

Five Water Heater Options

Don't simply replace your old water heater with an identical new one. Before you purchase a new water heater, consider all your options:

• Conventional Water Heater. The traditional water heater fills a tank with water and keeps it hot, ready to circulate through your pipes when you turn off the tap. They are reliable, but quite inefficient when compared to other types of water heaters.
• Solar Water Heater. A solar water heater is much like a conventional one, but it uses the sun to power the elements and keep the water hot.
• Demand Water Heater. Demand water heaters work by heating the water as it flows through the pipe. This eliminates the need for a storage tank, and supplies a continuous stream of hot water, no matter how long you feel like standing in that shower!
• Coil and Indirect Water Heater. These water heaters require the use of a furnace or boiler to heat the water when the faucet is turned on. Because the water goes through the heating system, it is more effective during the wintertime, and can be rather inefficient if you live in a warm climate.
• Heat Pump Water Heater. Heat pump water heaters move water from one place to another in order to heat it, instead of generating direct heat. This makes them much more energy efficient. If you already have a geothermal heating and cooling system in your home, the system can be tweaked to add the water heating function as well.

So before you go down that same water heater path, look at whether another option might make more sense.