What size water heater do you need to accommodate your family? The answer to this question will vary depending on the total number of children you have. For example, a family of 3 to 4 people should purchase a 50- to 60-gallon water heater. On the other hand, a household with 5 to 7 people may require a water heater with a 60 to 80 gallon water tank. If you live alone with your spouse, a 30-gallon water heater will provide you with enough warm water to shower, do laundry, and wash dishes.
These sizes are approximate estimates for your home. The appropriate size of the water heater will depend on variables such as the number of people in your family and the average duration of the shower. A small storage tank (50 to 60 gallons) is usually enough for one or two or three people. A medium (80 gallon) storage tank works well for three or four people.
A large tank is suitable for four to six people. Tank water heaters come in several sizes, including compact sizes to fit into small spaces. The size of the household plays an important role in determining the correct size of the water heater. A house with two or fewer people can be serviced by a 23- to 36-gallon tank.
A 36-gallon to 46-gallon tank is best for homes up to four people. A house with five people can be serviced by a tank of 46 to 56 gallons. For six or more people, look for larger tanks with a capacity of 60 gallons or more. If a total of 5 people in your household shower in the morning, you need to multiply 10 gallons by the total number of water use sessions, which is 5.This is based on a water-saving shower head that uses an average of 7 litres (1.8 gallons) of hot water per minute.
But a tankless option with comparable production, for example, the Takagi tankless natural gas water heater (available from SupplyHouse) is only 20 inches high, 14 inches wide and less than 10 inches deep. If you normally use 2 to 4 water appliances at the same time, you should purchase a larger water heater to make sure you have enough hot water to shower while the appliances are running. As a general rule, the more hot water your family uses at a time, you will need a larger capacity tank. The fact that the incoming water is well below the 25 °C assumption makes all the manufacturers' recovery time and flow data meaningless.
The fact that much colder water enters means that the amount of time and energy required to achieve the minimum required thermostat setting at 60°C will be much higher. A standard dishwasher uses a total of 6 gallons of water to remove grease and food from dishes. A water temperature increase of 70°F (39°C) at a rate of 5 gallons per minute through gas on-demand water heaters and 2 gallons per minute through electric water heaters is generally possible. When it comes time to purchase a new hot water system, one of the key questions relates to the size or capacity of the unit.
The Federal Trade Commission requires an EnergyGuide label on all new conventional storage water heaters, but not on heat pump water heaters. This costs them extra money when they purchase the hot water system and, in many cases, will increase current operating costs. So, if your peak hour demand is 74 gallons, you should look for a water heater with an FHR of 76-80 gallons. You want to search for an FHR that meets or exceeds the number of gallons of hot water needed for all activities that could be performed simultaneously at the busiest point of the day.
