It is important for home and business owners to correctly size the water heater for a property. The right model depends on the household size and a few other factors.
Here are some tips on selecting the best-size water heater for any home or commercial premises:
WATER HEATER SIZES
The size of a water heater is expressed in gallons. More specifically, it’s the capacity to hold water in gallons relative to how much water it can heat in an hour. This is called the recovery rate, which is influenced by how much use the water heater gets and its peak times.
WATER HEATER TYPES
Tank water heaters store and pre-heat water in a tank for later use. After the depletion of the boiled water, the heater creates more hot water. These water heaters usually range between 20 and 80 gallons in size.
Tankless heaters create hot water as needed and don’t store it. Their sizes are in gallons, like tankless heaters. Instead, their capacity is measured by the flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM).
Like tankless models, hybrid water heaters heat water on demand and store it like tanked options. In this case, the tank is more of a backup and doesn’t need to be as big as a tank heater.
WATER HEATER CAPACITY
Calculate tank heater sizes using the First Hour Rating (FHR). Determine the building’s demand during peak hours and pick a heater with an FHR within that range.
If it’s a tankless water heater, calculate the total flow rate of all devices working simultaneously. The GPM will guide the selection of the right heater.
SPACE REQUIREMENTS
The free space in the property or premises will greatly affect how big a tank water heater can be. They need enough room for the tank to fit and not be obscured since they need ventilation.
Tankless water heaters also get hot, so they need ventilation, too. However, since they don’t feature a bulky tank, they’re more compact and can fit into closets and on exterior walls.
GET PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE
How big a water tank should be depends on the number of residents, available space, whether it’s a tank or tankless model, and how much water the household uses. It can be challenging for you to calculate the correct size needed. Therefore, to get the most accurate estimate, contact a professional water heater installer and let them do the math.
Water Heater Pros provides water heater installation and replacement services for Las Vegas and surrounding area residents and businesses. Our expert technicians install both traditional and tankless water heaters for homes and other buildings with gas or electric service. We offer the highest quality installers for efficient, versatile water heaters such as Rheem, Ruud, high-efficiency tankless Navien units, and more. Ask about our installation specials.