Size Does Matter...
I have been running into many 40 gallon electric water heaters in my inspections, especially in rehabs. While I understand that it is all about turning a profit; 9 times out of ten, I write these up as being improperly sized. Here’s why:
The selection of a particular type hot water supply system for a house is determined by several factors including the utility connections available, utility rates, hot water demand, and owner preference.
There are several methods which can be used to calculate hot water demand. Each possibly will give different results. While no one single method is a perfect indicator of the actual hot water needs, the homeowner's demand will be the determining factor as to the size. Some of these factors are as follows: The number of people living in a house, occupant ages, lifestyles, work schedules, and the number of appliances using hot water.
Most households use the highest volume of hot water during two peak periods every day. These typically occur in a two-hour period between 6:00 - 9:00 am or 5:00 - 8:00 pm each day. Regardless of the adequacy of a water heating system during off-peak periods, inadequate hot water during peak periods will lead most people to believe that there is a hot water supply or capacity problem.
Not all water heaters are made equal; nor, are all households and demands the same. Hence, the specific water usage patterns and water heater design and capacity specifications must be considered to determine what water heating system will be most appropriate for any particular situation.
If you are running out of hot water at various times of the day, you may need to have to change your life style or have a specialist in the appropriate trade further evaluate the size of your water heating system.
I have attached the following guide to give a reference for selecting the appropriately sized water heater based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. I hope that this helps.
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