Water heater

The water heater is responsible for supplying hot water to your facets and appliances such as your washer and your dishwasher. It heats up the water. This allows you to get hot water when you need it like for showers and baths.

Without a water heater, your water would be cold. The water is heated by either gas, propane or electric.

There are two types of water heaters. You can choose from a tankless water heater which heats the water on demand (when it's needed) and it's considered an eco-friendly option. The alternative is a traditional water tank which houses hot water.

Sizing Your Household Water Needs

Everyone's consumption requirements are different. This will depend on the number of people in your home, the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, the number of appliances you have and the frequency of hot water usage. These variables will determine the size of a tankless or a tank water heater you'll need for your home.

Having a undersized water tank is not ideal. It makes the water heater work harder. The load ends up lowering the lifespan of your water heater which can cause it to break down.

The charts below will give you a guideline of the size water heater you will need for your home.

tankless water heater sizing chart

When considering a tankless water heater, you will need to figure out your average usage. Most homes use between 3.0 - 7.0 gallons of water per minute (GPM). This consumption is based on having a single shower running, a dishwasher and the washing machine running at the same time.