No appliance will last forever, and water heaters are no exception. If you’re thinking of upgrading your traditional water heater to a modernized tankless model, you may wonder, “What size tankless water heater do I need?”
Installing an appropriately sized unit is essential for ensuring it can accommodate your household’s hot water demand. When homeowners need professional plumbing services in Chesapeake, VA, including tankless water heater installation, they turn to Hats Off Heating and Air Conditioning. Below, we will explain how the sizing process works for tankless units.
Why Install a Tankless Water Heater at Your Residence in Chesapeake?
“What size tankless water heater do I need?” Before answering questions like this, it helps to understand why Chesapeake homeowners choose them over conventional tank units. In this case, the main drawcard is that tankless water heaters deliver hot water on demand.
Tank units heat large batches of water at once, but the on-demand variety only heats water as needed. This on-demand hot water is one of the top reasons to upgrade to a tankless water heater. You will never run out of hot water, and you can save on energy bills because tankless heaters don’t consume extra energy to warm a tank full of water.
Types of Tankless Water Heaters To Consider
Most homeowners in and around Chesapeake use electric tankless water heaters. Electric units only require electrical hookups, so they often have lower installation costs. They’re simple to install and offer streamlined operation.
Gas options use either natural gas or propane. They’re more powerful than electric heaters, so they can heat large volumes of water quickly. If you have a large household, a gas tankless water heater may be a better choice.
Gas-fueled water heaters have complex ventilation and gas line requirements, so upgrading to one may result in higher installation costs.
Tankless Water Heater Sizing: How Does It Work?
What size tankless water heater do I need? This sizing varies from household to household.
To determine the best option to accommodate your whole-house water heating needs, you’ll need to calculate the maximum flow rate and temperature rise.
Maximum Flow Rate
The standard flow rate measurement is gallons per minute (GPM). Your plumber determines GPM by assessing every fixture in your home that may use the water heater at the same time and estimating their flow rates.
Let’s say your Chesapeake home has a dishwasher, washing machine, and shower, and their average GPMs are 2 to 3 GPM, 3 to 5 GPM, and 2 to 3 GPM, respectively. You’d have a maximum flow rate of between 7 and 11 GPM.
Temperature Rise
After determining flow rate requirements, you have to consider the temperature rise factor, which is the temperature difference between your preferred water heater temperature and the inlet water temperature. If you set your new water heater to 120 degrees, but the water entering the system is about 55 degrees, the temperature rise is 65 degrees.
When calculating temperature rise, base the inlet temperature on what it would be on the coldest day of the year. Temperatures for incoming water supplies change each season.
Is Sizing a Tankless Water Heater the Same as Sizing a Tank Model?
“What size tankless water heater do I need?” To get the right tankless water heater size, compare flow rate requirements and temperature rise to the appliance’s output. Ideally, you want a unit that meets your home’s maximum temperature rise and highest flow rate.
Debating between tankless and tank water heaters to replace your current unit? The sizing methods are not the same for tank and tankless water heaters. Sizing tank units depends on the volume of water each tank can hold.
For example, a 75-gallon tank can only provide 75 gallons of hot water at once. The system will need to warm more water once this runs out.
Let Our Chesapeake Plumbing Experts Handle Your Tankless Water Heater Sizing and Installation
The answer to “What size tankless water heater do I need for my home?” will depend on your household’s hot water demand. If you need help determining the ideal size for your new system, Hats Off Heating and Air Conditioning can help.
As a leading HVAC and plumbing services provider, our skilled technicians deliver personalized plumbing solutions, including water heater installation, repair, and maintenance. For us, no tankless water heater heating problem is too minor or too complex.
Contact Hats Off Heating and Air Conditioning in Chesapeake, Virginia, to discuss your hot water needs!
