Determining the Right Water Heater Capacity

When it’s time to replace your aging water heater, an important consideration is its capacity. Tank storage water heaters for residential use come in sizes that generally range from as little as 15 gallons to as much as 100 gallons. The variety of sizes can make choosing the perfect water heater for your Atlanta, GA home a bit tricky. A professional water heater service company can make recommendations, or you can opt to choose your own water heater based on several criteria.

Storing Too Much Hot Water

One consideration when determining the correct water heater size is that a water heater that stores more hot water than you need wastes energy. Water heating comprises 16 percent of the total energy cost for the average home. This means avoiding an oversized tank will save significant money on utility bills.

Storing Enough Hot Water

Cold showers are no fun, so it’s also important that you buy a heater with a large enough capacity for your family. The best way to determine capacity is to use a heater’s first-hour rating. This is the number of gallons of hot water the heater can provide in an hour. An online worksheet can help you determine your peak one-hour consumption. That number should match the heater’s first-hour rating as close as possible.

Tankless Water Heater Sizing

A tankless water heater installation doesn’t store hot water. However, it will require proper sizing to fit your home and your hot water needs. The formula for determining tankless heater capacity is somewhat complicated. It factors in the number of hot water taps the heater will serve, the flow-rate of those taps, and the desired temperature of the water. Many homeowners defer to these calculations to professional water heater services.

To learn more about finding a perfectly sized water heater for your home, take a look at Jones Climate Control online or call 678-210-3851.