Boiler vs. Water Heater: 8 Key Differences

Did you know that boiler systems have been widely used since the late 18th century?

From steam engines to steel manufacturing, boilers have played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, and they helped lay the foundation for much of the infrastructure that our society uses today. While the boilers of today’s homes bear little resemblance to those first boiler systems, they still rely on similar technology.

In addition to your boiler system, your water heater plays a key role in the water usage of your home. Both boilers and water heaters have several things in common:

  • They have sealed and pressurized tanks of water (when they have tanks at all).
  • They heat water from your water supply line and send it throughout your home via your pipes.
  • They have a lifespan of about 10-15 years.
  • There are several different varieties of each available for residential and commercial use.
  • It’s recommended that you inspect them at least annually.

With all these qualities in common, what differentiates the two machines from one another? Why do some homes have both boilers and water heaters if they share so many qualities?

Keep reading to learn the key points of difference between a boiler vs a water heater and to figure out which one you should have in your home.

1. The Kinds of Water They Use

Modern bathroom featuring a sleek white cylindrical boiler next to a cabinet. Two sinks with mirrors and well-organized toiletries are in the background. Potted plants add greenery to the bright, clean space, illustrating the stylish debate of boiler vs water heater designs.

Water heaters are used to heat potable water, or water that is safe for consumption according to standards set by the EPA. Think of all the ways you use water in your home for eating or cleaning: preparing food, washing your hands, and washing your clothes. All these tasks and more require potable water provided to you by a water heater.

A boiler, on the other hand, works with non-potable water, or water that hasn’t been treated to make it safe for consumption. This is primarily water used in the heating system in your home, which will get further into in a second.

2. Their Necessity

You absolutely need a water heater in your home. Without it, you wouldn’t have any hot water for your sinks and showers!

Boilers, on the other hand, are a bit more optional. Although you likely need some sort of heating system in your home, you have many options other than boilers to choose from:

  • Furnace
  • Heat pump
  • Radiant heat system

In fact, residential boilers tend to be less popular than some of these other heating system options, unless the home has a combi boiler or a system that functions as both a home heating unit and hot water heater for your taps.

3. Their Sources of Energy

Boilers mostly use natural resources like oil, natural gas, and propane to create heat, although some boilers also use electricity. This use of nonrenewable fuel sources has given boilers the reputation of not being very energy efficient, but contrary to popular belief, there are also several high-efficiency boiler options that offer a reduced carbon footprint.

Water heaters mostly use electricity or gas to heat the cold water coming into your house to the desired temperature.

4. Their Installation Costs

Boilers are more expensive to install than water heaters. Between the unit itself and additional labor costs, a boiler installation can cost upward of $5,000. Water heater installation, in comparison, is most likely to cost you about $2,000.

5. Their Water Storage Methods

A person wearing black gloves is using a wrench to tighten a valve on a water heater, differentiating it from a typical boiler setup. The heater has visible pipes and fittings, and the person is adjusting the red handle of a shut-off valve against a plain gray wall.

A water heater often has a water storage tank. After drawing in cold water and heating it up, it stores the heated water in a tank until you open the tap, creating a vacuum that sends the hot water up to your faucet.

Boilers do not store water; instead, they heat the water instantaneously and only as it’s needed.

Nowadays, tankless water heaters are becoming more and more common. Like boilers, tankless water heaters heat the water on demand, rather than heating and storing it. This helps homeowners save energy and money, as you’ll only pay for and heat water when you need it.

6. Water Temperature

Because your water heater is meant to supply hot water for use in drinking or bathing, it only heats and stores water up to about 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, it would scald you every time you turned on the tap!

Most boilers heat water for the purpose of heating your home, so they heat water to a much higher temperature, up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. This water isn’t hot enough to boil, but it does create steam, which is what’s sent throughout the pipes to heat your whole house.

7. Water Circulation

Because boiler water is used to heat your home, once it cools down, the water is sent back to the boiler through your pipe system to be reheated and reused. Pretty economical!

Water heater water, on the other hand, is not recycled. Once you use it to wash your dishes, take a shower, or clean your floors, the water that goes down the drain is taken away from your home to your local wastewater treatment facility.

8. Warranty Coverage

Sometimes, home warranty companies won’t provide coverage for a boiler. This is because they’re less common in the United States than other forms of home heating, so it can be harder to find a trained expert to service your unit when it’s in need of repair or replacement. When boilers are used, they are most commonly used on commercial properties, which have different considerations than the needs of most single-home warranty coverage.

Water heaters are almost always covered by home warranties because they’re much more ubiquitous than boiler systems.

Boiler vs. Water Heater: Differences Explained

Now you know the key differences between a boiler vs water heater. Next time you visit your basement, send a little word of thanks to your water heater (and boiler if you have one) for all the work it does to keep your home water running smoothly!

Sometimes, you need some help keeping your home water systems in peak condition. The team at Aquarius Home Services is more than qualified to help you with all of your boiler and water heater repair, maintenance, and installation needs. No matter which model you have or what kind of issue you’re experiencing, our plumbers and technicians are up to the challenge.

Ready to get started? Give us a call today to set up an appointment!

Nicholas Kintigh
Nicholas Kintigh
1739846058
Wyatt was very knowledgeable and friendly. He seemed to know what needed to be done and explained everything.
Jodi Powell
Jodi Powell
1739844907
Great customer service!!!! I would highly recommend!!!!
Charlie Cremers
Charlie Cremers
1739835727
Justin from Aquarius Kincetico was great. He was very knowledgeable about our drinking water system, and our water softener system. He walked through everything with me. Thank you again for all your services
Diane Chaussee
Diane Chaussee
1739834775
Derk was so informative and always asked if we had any questions. He answered every question that we asked him. He was pleasant, knowledgeable, and very nice. It was a wonderful experience and we are so happy we have this system now to drink good water! Thank you!!!
Rod S
Rod S
1739831646
Very friendly and knowledgeable. Nick is a great representative of your company.
Jim Molitor
Jim Molitor
1739831493
Very knowledgeable and helpful
J Carroll
J Carroll
1739828599
On time, professional, and efficient. Ryan / Aquarius knows what he is doing!
kurt nyberg
kurt nyberg
1739827475
The people there are supper great and did a great job explaining what we needed to know about it and installing in the time he said
Greg Wax
Greg Wax
1739827456
Rena Shepard
Rena Shepard
1739827174
Anthony was very nice and patient with all. Did a great job and explained everything to me. Thank you
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle
1739825454
Great and professional installation.
jane larson
jane larson
1739823632
Mike was very thorough and explained everything he was doing. He was a great representative of Aquarius Home Services.
Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson
1739818756
Great service
Maria Fernandes
Maria Fernandes
1739818541
Technician was awesome and did a great thorough job with routine maintenance and system inspection, including taking sensor measurement data at a ceiling vent. World-Class professional knowledge, talent, and technical skill. Thank you, Alec! We look forward to AC inspection in the approaching season, as well...
Gail Brandt
Gail Brandt
1739817675
Gordy provided great service.
Donna Kodet
Donna Kodet
1739810757
Great experience with work done today.Excellent explanations on systemThey were happy to make adjustments as requested. Highly recommend them
Andrew Blattner
Andrew Blattner
1739747698
Great service and experience! Andrew was awesome!
DAN KOLAND
DAN KOLAND
1739683557
Nick repaired our furnace on a Saturday night. He walked me through what was was wrong and had it working after a short period of time. Nick and Aquarius are the best! It would have been a cold night without them.
Christopher Sobraske
Christopher Sobraske
1739658824
Ryan Kahl did a phenomenal job! Extremely knowledgeable about our system and was able to answer all my questions. He was very professional and helpful especially with taking the time to make sure I was 100% confident in our system along with giving me helpful tips above and beyond our system. He really exceeded the value we expected from our service plan.
Corinne Klitzke
Corinne Klitzke
1739645858
Heather Reynolds
Heather Reynolds
1739644317
Max was very helpful!
Bill Enloe
Bill Enloe
1739570182
Pete Hayes
Pete Hayes
1739565324
Was a bit hesitant on keeping up with Kinetico!! But your two service techs ( Justin and Hannah)went above and beyond what I was expecting!! They spent so much energy and information related to my issues , making it a pleasant experience. Like I gained two new friends. Plus explained how a different service should take care further issues. Definitely would like to see them for my next service!!! Even got my wife back on board. Thanks again. Pete Hayes
Debbie Doyle
Debbie Doyle
1739561479
Aquarius came out this morning and replaced two toilets and did some plumbing work downstairs all in one morning. The plumber, Joe, was efficient, answers questions, provided helpful information, and was very friendly and personable. I will DEFINITELY use Aquarius again.
Matt Van Beusekom
Matt Van Beusekom
1739558449
Excellent and efficient work. Would definitely recommend!
Josey Dooley
Josey Dooley
1739557030
Amazing service!
Jessica Tracy
Jessica Tracy
1739556713
Gordon was very friendly and knowledgeable - makes the visit/process so much easier.
James M
James M
1739555300
After months of high water bills and feeling itchy, the Aquarius team came to the rescue. My 25 year old kinetico softener finally gave up and was constantly cycling. At the end of the service call we realized the old unit wasn't worth repairing. They sent out a salesperson the same day, providing a great range of options to fit my price point. My new softener arrived early so we were able to move up the install date. Install was flawless and we're back to having the softest water ever. I'm super happy with every interaction I've had with the Aquarius team. They are all super friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I rarely leave reviews and only leave them when I'm really impressed. That's definitely the case with this company.
Brian Hagen
Brian Hagen
1739551834
Steve Sherwood
Steve Sherwood
1739551765
Great service. Prompt and knowledgeable
Peter T
Peter T
1739551605
Dirk did a good job communicating and installing the system. Recommend.
Nancy Lahmann
Nancy Lahmann
1739551066
Dylan checked boiler and did a thorough inspection. Very polite. He also knocked off a big ice chunk outside …extra service and much appreciated.
Ann Marie Haerter
Ann Marie Haerter
1739550777
Friendly, efficient, knowledgeable
Kenneth Schwebach
Kenneth Schwebach
1739498359
Great service tec! She was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Neal Kempel
Neal Kempel
1739497034
First, Aquarius responded to my interest in an RO system promptly. After deciding to commit to their solution, the installation, Including a water softner solution, it was scheduled the same week. Michael was the installer and he called when in transit and arrived right on schedule. We went over the work to be done and the placement of the equipment with only one issue that arose. The RO and water softener installation would not be a problem, but plumbing for the outdoor outlets would require additional material and labor, not included in the quote. I was looking forward to using the outdoor faucets without switching the system over. We elected to continue with the installation and Michael kept us informed throughout the day of his progress and completion time. He had everything cleaned up and provided us with a review of the system. To date, we are very pleased with the system and want to thank Michael for a great install. My only recommendation to Aquarius would be to take an additional step, during the initial meeting possibly, and physically look at the plumbing to ensure the quote covers all the materials to meet the customer request.
Jacqueline Garberg
Jacqueline Garberg
1739496644
Wyatt was thorough, considerate, a trusted service professional! Thank you!
Deb N
Deb N
1739489085
Tyler from Aquarius Home Services did a great job! He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Jeffrey Ek
Jeffrey Ek
1739486327
The techs are always very cordial, explain what they are doing, and in and out as quickly as makes sense. Having said that, I’ve never felt that they rushed through their work.
Keith Wolff
Keith Wolff
1739485872
Everything was checked out and explained the tech was very informative would recommend them. Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Jessica Fisher
1739484813
We have had our Aquarius services longer than a decade. During this time, the equipment has never failed us, but more importantly we have received absolutely outstanding customer service anytime we have needed anything. Today was no different, Wyatt came to our house to do our periodic inspection and was able to help troubleshoot a problem and find a solution the very same day. The entire time he was here, he kept his workspace, clean and orderly, and he was very polite and respectful of our home. The shocker came when he was about to leave and told me this was his fifth day On his own! Very impressed, not only with him as a person, but the quality of employees that come out out of Aquarius. Highly recommend this company.
Jane Ogren
Jane Ogren
1739484717
Friendly and knowledgeable
Mike Gunderson
Mike Gunderson
1739483907
I had an old furnace that was on its last legs and needed to be replaced ASAP.Day one: Service Tech arrived 2 hours after initial contact with Aquarius. Sales Rep arrived within an hour of the request. Deal was made and installation appointment scheduled for the NEXT DAY!Day two: Contacted by the installation team at 7:00 am. Arrived at 7:30. Finished up by 2:30.All of the staff that I dealt with were friendly, professional and great to work with. They explained everything very well. I was expecting to wait 2-3 weeks for a new furnace and A/C. This was all done inside of two days. I would 100% recommend Aquarius to anyone needing any type of home service.Tall Mike, Mike Sippel, Chris Oigard, Dave and Luke it was great to work with you. Thanks for everything!Oh, they like dogs too.
Katie Raymond
Katie Raymond
1739481339
Sue Ufheil
Sue Ufheil
1739471348
Colton was very professional and explained everything he was doing. Very happy with service today.
Jarrod Wieland
Jarrod Wieland
1739470866
James Grant
James Grant
1739469886
Wonderful experience with Andrew & Joey , installed new efficient electric water heater . Courteous , clean , efficient, highly recommended
Jeremy Ruth
Jeremy Ruth
1739468208
Justin and Hana were super friendly and they helped figure out an issue with our RO system. Great appt
James Dixon
James Dixon
1739466779
Creative problem solver, pleasant personality, efficient and cleaned up well.
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