Home Repair: How to Choose the Right Size Water Heater
Multiple showers are happening, the laundry is in progress, and the dishwasher is running. Soon, there is no hot water. It is rare for this many hot water uses occur at once. If your water heater is only slightly undersized for you home, you have experienced shortages at critical times. Getting the right size water heater for your home is important to assure a continuous supply when it is needed.
Make a study of the hot water use in your home.
This does not need to be a time to call in consultants. You should start a log and record when hot water is used for about a week. Try to estimate how much hot water is used during the peak times. Obviously, almost any size water heater will work when no one needs it. The water heater needs a capacity to accommodate the majority of peak times.
Compare recovery times for various size water heaters in different brands.
Recovery time is the length of time that a water heater requires to replace the hot water that was just used. Things like the water heater capacity and the BTU output of the burner or electric heating elements affect how long it takes to reheat the water back to the optimum temperature. A water heater with a large tank but a small BTU output may not be as effective for your needs as a slightly smaller tank and a bigger burner. Talk with the stores where you are shopping to get their input on your personal needs.
Pay attention to how far the water has to travel to reach the largest users.
A certain amount of hot water is wasted every time that it is used. The heated water remaining in the pipes will cool quickly after you stop using hot water. Longer distances mean more hot water lost to the system. If most of the hot water is used a long distance from the water heater, you need to account for this in your computations of your hot water needs.
Determine potential extra usage by additional company or projects.
If you entertain or have overnight guests often, your hot water usage will be higher than you may realize. Extra dishes to wash, more bathing, and other hot water needs could increase dramatically during these times. For those who have guests more than once a month or so, be sure to add in this hot water need to your peak use computations.
Consider your utility bills.
Larger hot water heaters will mean bigger energy use. So, work not only to find a large enough water heater, but look at the efficiency of the units that you are considering as choices. If you find an energy efficient water heater in the right size, it will give you the best service at the best price.
Even if the water heater seems to cost a few dollars more, realize that the life expectancy of this unit is possibly 20 years. The energy savings over this span should far outstrip the additional purchase cost. Energy costs will probably keep rising, and energy efficiency is money in the bank.
