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All too often, conversations about water heaters seem to be centered around the size of the home. Sure, if you want to ensure a continuous flow of warm water throughout the house, you need to consider its layout and size, but equally important are the occupants that will rely on the warm water supply. For this reason, for multi-family homes and homeowners with large families, there are some important factors to keep in mind when selecting a water heater.
Water Usage Estimates
Before you select a water heater for your home, it is always helpful to start with a review of water usage estimates. However, for a large family, this step is a must. There are different measuring tools used to assess how much water a typical person uses.
You want to take this figure and then multiply it by the number of people who live in the home and look for a unit that is sized equal to this final amount. For example, if the guideline states that each person uses 11 gallons of water, and there are 7 teens or adults in the house, you need a water heater with a tank capacity of at least 70 gallons.
Multi vs. Bigger
If you have a larger family, you are probably used to purchasing in bulk or larger size. Yet, when it comes to the water heater, you might want to think more about the idea of multiple heaters instead of a single water heater.
An issue with an oversized water heater is that although it can contain a large amount of water, given the size of the tank, it can also take longer to heat the water. The trade-off for the longer warming time is sometimes not worth the wait depending on your usage demands. Two smaller units may be more practical.
Tankless Heater Concerns
Some homeowners are shifted to tankless water heaters because of their ability to provide warm water almost instantly, or on-demand. While there is no refuting this advantage, you do need to again consider the unique needs of your family, as tankless water heaters do have demand limits.
If there are multiple families in the home or several adults, you can still take advantage of this on-demand hot water, but to ensure it is consistent, you may need to invest in two or more of these units instead of one.
If you still need help finding the right size water heater, there is no need to stress. A technician can do more than service your unit, they can also help ensure you select and install the unit best equipped to meet your demands.
Share9 February 2021
