What is the Right Water Heater Capacity For You?

For any home, a water heater is a very important purchase. To fulfill your family’s hot water demands, it’s crucial to make sure you purchase a water heater with the correct capacity. There are a number of different types of water heaters that come in many different sizes. That’s why it is important to figure out which size water heater is right for your home’s needs.

Types of Water Heaters

Storage tank water heaters and tankless water heaters are the two main categories. There are many other types of water heaters apart from these that can also be found in many homes. You must choose the type of water heater you’re intending to buy or whatever type you already own before determining the appropriate size that is right for you.

Storage Tank:

The most common type of water heater found in most households is a storage tank water heater. This kind of water heater has an insulated tank where hot water is kept until it is needed.

Running out of hot water or having to wait for the water to heat up before getting in the shower are problems we have all encountered. Because of the amount of water that storage tank units can heat in an hour, or what is known as a recovery increase, these kinds of problems occur. The recovery climb will need to be higher the more hot water-dependent your property is.

Tankless: 

Even though it is more expensive up front, a tankless water heater will always give you hot water.

You’ll always have hot water on demand thanks to tankless water heater units regardless of the capacity, which use built-in coils to heat water as needed. These water heaters are therefore more energy-efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters, which may result in lower energy costs. The one drawback? They can only supply so much hot water each minute. However, more recent tankless appliances can handle up to 9.8 gallons of water per minute at once. This means multiple simultaneous showers!

Determine Which Size You Need

Hot water heaters come in a variety of sizes, so you must figure out your regular water usage to help you decide. Several important considerations should be kept in mind in order to further focus your search:

Household Size: 

Do you live in a big house or a small condo? Do you have a big family or do you live alone? When looking for a water heater, it’s crucial to take into account your household’s size and occupancy because you don’t want the last person to take a shower to be stranded with cold water.

Water heater with a large capacity will be able to accommodate for more hot water usage to ensure you always have access to hot water.

Physical Size:

Ensure that the water heater you choose will fit in the designated area of your house. Different types of water heaters of different sizes will take up different amounts of space.  

Fuel Source:

The most common fuels for water heaters are natural gas, liquid propane, and electricity. Additionally, your boiler can also be connected  so that your water heater can use it as fuel. Determine which fuel source you are going to use first in order to assist in the buying process.

In general, the capacity of the water heater you need can be determined as follows:

• 1-2 people: A water tank with a minimum 30-gallon capacity is required.
• 2-3 people: A water tank with a minimum 40-gallon capacity is required.
• 3-4 people: A water tank with a minimum 50-gallon capacity is required.
• 5+ people: A water tank with a capacity between 50-80 gallons is required

Final Thoughts

A number of different factors should be considered when purchasing and sizing a new hot water heater for your home. The amount of water you use and the type of hot water tank are the main factors to consider.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

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