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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The most common type of water heater in North America. The tank water heater stores gallons of hot water up to 60 gallons depending on the size. Most homes will have their tank water heater supplied by their local gas company, through a monthly rental program.
However since it is a low upfront cost, many GTA (Greater Toronto Area) customers are opting to buy the water heater themselves. This eliminates any on-going, rental fees which you need to pay.
The number of bedrooms and bathrooms you have in your home will give you a benchmark on the size of tank water heater you should be investing in.
