Thinking of a Water Heater Replacement?

Need to replace your water heater?

It is easy to become overwhelmed with so many brands out there. What size water heater should you buy or should you go tankless? The most economical water heater replacement will use the same source of energy for your water heater. If you have an electric or gas fired, changing energy sources will usually require additional plumbing or electrical work.

The standard size for a residential water heater is 40-80 gallons. The capacity of a water heater should be based  on  the number of people living in the home and the peak hour of demand, not on the size of the house.  The water heater  should be able to produce enough hot water at the the busiest time of the day. Also consider the number of plumbing fixtures you have in your home. The more sinks you have, the greater the demand for hot water. If you have a hot tub, you’ll need to take into consideration the larger hot water demand.

Number of People in House          Recommended Size of Water Heater

1 to 3 (or 4)                                              40 gallon

4 to 6                                                        50 gallon or 50 gallon high recovery

6 to 8                                                        50 gallon high recovery or 75-80 gallon

This is just a reference and will not guarantee you will not run out of hot water.

For greater peace of mind, buy the longest warranty. Most water heater warranties will cover the tank for 6 years or longer.  A longer warranty is recommended if you have a water softener in your home. Water softeners can speed up the rate of anode rod corrosion.

The energy efficiency of a water heater is indicated by its energy factor (EF), an overall efficiency based on the use of 64 gallons of hot water per day. The first national appliance efficiency standards for water heaters took effect in 1990. The newer standards, which went into effect January 2004, increased the minimum efficiency levels of water heaters.

The most efficient gas-fired water heaters have energy factors ranging from 0.58 to 0.65. The most efficient electric water heaters have energy factors ranging between 0.90 and 0.95. The higher the EF, the more efficient the model. Water heaters with high EF ratings may cost more initially but save energy and money in the long run. Eventually, they will pay for themselves through the lifetime of energy savings.

Other important factors in choosing a water heater, the First Hour Rating is an indicator of how much hot water a particular model can provide. The rating, in gallons of desired temperature hot water is reached by combining the amount of usuable hot water stored in the tank plus how many gallons of usable hot water the water heart can generate in one hour of operation. For example, if a 40 gallon natural gas water heater will store 31 gallons of usable hot water and can deliver 41 gallons of usable hot water in the first hour, it’s first rating is 72 gallons.

A quick recovery water heater effectively offers homeowners more capacity for the same size tank. Because stand-by losses are greater with a larger tank, a quick recovery water heater is more energy efficient-than a standard recovery model with the same first-hour rating.

The added capacity can be especially attractive to homeowners with people who have no problem using more than 40 gallons per shower. Often space limitations preclude a larger water heater, making quick recovery the best option for homeowners who want hot water for purposes beyond long showers