The good news is that just by following a few guidelines you can find the perfect size water heater.
What is the right size water heater for a family of 4.
But it shouldn t be your.
This is because water heater size directly impacts its cost.
But if you only need a loose estimate of what size you need versus an exact calculation follow these guidelines.
If you want help calculating what size water heater your family needs or need more information about the pros and cons of a tankless water heater contact us at the plumbing source.
If you intend to use a tank water heater use these recommendations as a guide to finding the size you need.
Determine the home s fhr or first hour rating.
Family of 1 2.
30 gallons family of 2 3.
The first hour rating is the number of gallons of hot water the heater can supply per hour starting with a tank full of hot water.
Before finding the right size water heater you must determine which type you re going to purchase.
For the average family of four a 40 gallon water heater like a.
If your family size is 5 or more you ll need an 80 gallon tank electric or a 50 gallon tank natural gas or liquid propane.
Minimum gallon capacity recommendations.
Therefore to size a demand water heater you need to determine the flow rate and the temperature rise you ll need for its application whole house or a remote application such as just a bathroom in your home.
50 gallons family of 5 or more.
Well to get an accurate answer you d have to calculate out how much hot water you typically use during your busiest hot water using hour.
Sizing storage and heat pump with tank water heaters.
Before buying a tank water heater most homeowners want to get a rough idea of the water heater size their family needs.
That s the measure of how much hot water the heater will deliver during a busy hour such as first thing in the morning.
For 1 to 2 people.
Smith s proline power vent gas water heater available from supplyhouse should get the job done.
The bigger the water heater tank the more expensive it will be.
Below we ve highlighted what size water heater you would need in our example of 6 5 gpm at a 63 f temperature rise.
Once you have your total flow rate and the required temperature rise you can find the right size tankless water heater for your home.
To properly size a storage water heater for your home including a heat pump water heater with a tank use the water heater s first hour rating.
We ll go over the math with you and make sure you find a hot water heater that s the perfect size for your family.
30 40 gallons for 2 to 3 people.
Tankless water heaters are rated by the maximum temperature rise possible at a given flow rate.