To determine what size tankless water heater.
Average water heater size gallons.
Assuming your water temperature is 40 coming into your home and you want to produce enough hot water to run 2 showers at the same time what temperature rise would you need to produce to accomplish this.
Usually most homeowners find that either a 40 or 50 gallon hot water tank is the best fit for their needs.
For 1 to 2 people.
In most cases you would need a 50 gallon tank water heater in this situation considering most 40 gallon models have a lower fhr.
1 2 people you ll need a water tank with at least a 30 gallon capacity.
Utility water heaters usually range in size from 2 5 to 19 gallons.
However every family has different water demand requirements.
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.
This tank size based on the scenario in step 2 is adequate for the peak hourly hot water requirements.
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.
What size water heater do i need.
Consequently these are the two most frequently installed sizes.
3 4 people need a 40 50 gallon water heater.
For a tank style heater household size is a simple indicator of hot water needs.
Typically residential water heater sizes range from 40 to 100 gallon tanks.
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.
2 3 people you ll need at least a 40 gallon capacity tank.
Small storage tank water heaters known as point of use or utility water heaters are good choices for adding hot water to outbuildings shops or garages.
An average shower will be between 104 106 and uses 2 6 gallons of water.
Tankless water heaters capacities aren t measured in gallons stored but in flow rates.
30 40 gallons for 2 to 3 people.
Choose a hot water heater with a tank size in the range of 50 to 60 gallons on the fhr label.
Together that equals 72 gallons of hot water needed.
5 or more people need a 50 80 gallon water heater.
In this instance you would need a water heater with a first hour rating of at least 72 gallons before you run out of hot water during that 1 hour period.
But if you only need a loose estimate of what size you need versus an exact calculation follow these guidelines.