When you are having a home built for you or have a remodel or addition that involves a bathroom or kitchen, you need to make sure you take the hot water heater into consideration.
If you have ever taken a shower or bath and run out of hot water you are very aware of the consequences of have a hot water heater that is either too small in capacity or unable to recharge fast enough to meet the demand. The hot water heater in question just didn’t have enough capacity.
The capacity of a hot water heater is a result of two factors: storage(the amount of water it can hold) and recovery time (how quickly it can heat a tank of water). Conventional water heaters range in tank size from 30 to 120 gallons; the most common sizes are from 50 to 75 gallons.
It is very important to match the size and capacity of the tank to your family's needs. If you get a tank that isn’t large enough, you'll find the water cooling down just about the time you are soaping up in the shower. On the other hand, if you buy one that's too big for your needs you will have utility bills that are very high trying to keep the tank heated.
The type of power your hot water heater uses also affects its capacity. Gas powered hot water heaters recover at twice as fast a rate as those hot water heaters that use electricity as their power source. What that means to you is if you have a gas hot water heater you can use a smaller tank that a home with an electric hot water heater.
Typically a good measure for how big a hot water heater you need is the number of bathrooms in the house. There are obviously some circumstances that can skew these standards-- a family with small children and lots of showers and laundry to do will have different needs than a couple living by themselves would.
For a 1-bathroom house a 30 or 40 gallon tank typically should be enough, in either gas or electric. For a 1 1/2-bath house, 40 gallons is minimum. For a 2- to 3 1/2-bath house, choose a 50-gallon gas heater or a 66- to 80-gallon electric one (because electric water heaters take longer to heat water, large tanks should be bigger than their gas-fired counterparts). For a large, 4-bath house or a home with an extra-large bathtub, get a 75-gallon gas heater or a 120-gallon electric heater.
No matter your reason to have a hot water heater installed, make sure you consult with a qualified professional contractor from HandyAmerican.com. Our pros will makes sure you have all the up-to-date information and that all building codes and licenses are followed and obtained.
Make sure you understand the type of hot water heater you need and consider the long term cost of operating each of the different types available.
More on Water Heaters and Pumps Continued...
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