Here are some factors to keep in mind to help you better determine what tankless water heater size will work best for you and your home!
When it comes to choosing your home’s next tankless water heater, there’s no doubt about it that size is going to be a major consideration. This is predominately because going too small could potentially result in your home not receiving quite enough hot water to meet your specific demands, and getting a unit that is too large can result in unnecessary operational expenses that negates the overall benefits of improved energy efficiency!
To put it simply, the overall size of your tankless water heater needs to be precise in terms of meeting your expectations and water usage necessities. This is where the master plumbers at Beehive Plumbing come in to support your purchasing decisions, and in this article we’re going to discuss two major factors to keep in mind when it comes to understanding the proper size of your home’s new tankless water heater.
Flow Rate
The term flow rate technically refers to the amount of hot water that a tankless water heater can produce, and this rate is typically expressed through gallons per minute, or GPM.
So it’s going to be important for you and your family to keep your water usage needs in mind when you’re looking through your options of tankless water heaters, and this is because you’ll need your newly installed water heater to have a high enough flow rate to meet your requirements. It’s also important to note that although tankless water heaters can essentially provide endless hot water, you’ll be somewhat restricted to one/two simultaneous hot water activities. However, the overall amount of simultaneous hot water activities will be determinant upon the overall water heater size you purchase.
Some examples of flow rate amongst common (low-flow) plumbing fixtures include the following:
- Bathroom sink faucet = 1 GPM
- Tub faucet = 4 GPM
- Showerhead = 2.5 GPM
- Washing machine = 2 GPM
- Kitchen faucet = 1.5 GPM
- Dishwasher = 1.5 GPM
What’s important for homeowners to distinguish is how many of these common plumbing fixtures you’ll be expecting to utilize throughout peak hours. A good example of this would be if your home has two bathrooms and you’d like to have the ability to allow two simultaneous showers each morning, which would subsequently require a minimum of about a 5 GPM flow rate.
This type of estimation will depend upon the exact flow rate of your showerheads, but the main point is that we can help you determine the flow rate of your plumbing fixtures to better determine what your water usage requirements are!
Temperature Rise
Although understanding your flow rate needs is important, it’s not the sole factor in determining the proper tankless water heater size your home will need. It’s also very important to consider the temperature of the water that is going into your water heater, and how hot it should get when it comes out your plumbing fixtures.
This concept is known as temperature rise, and when it comes to your tankless water heater it will simply be necessary to know the groundwater temperatures in your local area. In Utah the groundwater can average around 50 degrees, but of course it can get much cooler as you enter the mountains. The typical temperature that homeowners want their taps to get to is about 102 degrees for showers and bathtubs, and up to around 120 degrees for washing machines and dishwashers.
So with this in mind, it’s important to note that your tankless water heater should be more than capable of delivering temperature rises of up to around 70+ degrees here in Utah.
Putting It All Together
Most tankless water heater options will provide their temperature rise and flow rate metrics, so these are the main two factors you should keep in mind while shopping.
But as temperature rise fluctuates, so will flow rate. We understand how finding that perfect medium between these two factors, as well as your household’s general usage habits, is pretty difficult to get right. That’s why our experts will be able to help you when it comes to determining your best tankless water heater options, and all of our options are oriented towards Utah’s cold winters!
Reach Out To The Beehive Plumbing Experts For More Information About Tankless Water Heater Size and Installations!
The water heater specialists at Beehive Plumbing will always perform meticulous calculations in order for you and your family to get the perfect balance of performance, energy efficiency and price with your tankless water heater purchase.
All of our technicians are also qualified to perform tankless water heater installations, which can go a long way in terms of cutting down your overall costs and getting your new water heater up and running quickly!
We understand that these types of home improvement investments require a lot of careful consideration, so always feel free to reach out to us online or call us at 801-661-8155 to speak with one of our team members about how we can support you in your pursuit of the perfect tankless water heater for your household!
