Having adequate hot water is more than a modern home convenience. It’s essential to support many of the things you do every day. You need it to take comfortable showers. You need it to clean your dishes. Certain types of clothes require hot, or at least warm, water in your washing machine. That reality makes choosing the right size water heater for your home a big deal. Otherwise, you might run out of hot water when you need it. Here’s how to choose a water heater with enough capacity for your home.
Storage Tank Water Heaters
If you’re planning to buy a conventional water heater with a storage tank, you’ll need to buy one with enough storage capacity for your home. In general, you can use the following as a guideline:
- 23 to 36 gallons for one or two people
- 36 to 46 gallons for two to four people
- 46 to 56 gallons for three to five people
- At least 56 gallons or more for over five people
In general, you can add about ten gallons of extra storage capacity per person in your home to expand on the above guidelines. Plus, you should always err on the high side when you make your capacity estimate. It’s better to have a bit too much hot water rather than not enough.
Tankless on Demand Water Heaters
If you’re buying a tankless water heater, you’ll need to consider your peak hot water usage. This is because you’ll need your tankless water heater to produce enough hot water all at once to meet that need. To do this, you’ll need to add up the flow rate of every faucet and appliance that could need hot water simultaneously in your home. Then, you must measure the incoming water temperature in your home. You can use that information to find out if a tankless water heater you’re considering can produce enough hot water, given the temperature differential it needs to deal with.
Your Water Heater Specialists
Of course, the easiest way to choose the right size water heater is to leave it to NORCO Heating & Air Conditioning. Our experts can help you choose the perfect water heater for your home and get it installed without delay. We’ve served the Spokane, WA, area for over 60 years. We offer water heaters, HVAC repair, maintenance and installation, indoor air quality services, boilers and electrical services. So, for the water heater you need at a price you can afford, contact NORCO Heating & Air Conditioning today!
