Water tankless heaters are one of the best-selling home appliances in the market today. This is attributed to the many versatile features and factors associated with tankless water heaters. These are automatic devices that are used to supply hot water to your home at any time or whenever needed. Beginning with a continuous and reliable supply of hot water, low operation and maintenance cost, energy-efficient, space-saving, easy installation, durability, among others, are some of the tankless water heater features.
Tankless water heaters are designed for both commercial and residential use, hence very popular. Generally, tankless water heaters are designed to continuously steam water as the heater supplies water to different taps in your household. This article will provide you with some of the information on the frequently asked questions about tankless water heaters.
What is the Right Size of a Tankless Water Heater Do I Need for My Home?
There are so many versatile tankless heaters in the market today, but choosing the right size of the tankless water heater determines how well the heater will serve you. To know the best size for your home, you need to consider the following factors.
– The size of your house.
There are so many different sizes of tankless water heaters, designed for different house sizes. The best size should sufficiently supply your home with hot water regardless of the number of taps in your house. Choosing smaller sizes will lead to insufficient hot water supply or restricted water supply to some taps only.
– Your house water flow rate.
Due to the working mechanism of a tankless water heater, the output water flow rate of your taps is determined by the rate of water supply by the heater. So the number of your taps, as well as their flow rate, also helps in determining the size of the heater. The water flow rate of the heater should be more than or just equivalent to the total flow rate of all your taps.
– Temperature rise.
Temperature rise is the difference between the required output water temperature and the incoming water temperature. The temperature rise helps in determining both the size of the heater as well as the heater power. The temperature rise is determined after determining the total water flow rate in all your house faucets, and this helps in determining the required heater power to heat up the water to the required temperature rise while maintaining a constant flow rate.
Can a Tankless Water Heater Work for the Whole House?
Yes, a tankless water heater can be used to supply water to the whole house, whether small or large houses. The intended purpose for a tankless water heater determines the power output of the heater. Heaters designed for very large houses with high water consumption are designed with high power and high flow rate, to continuously supply water hot water as needed.
Although, these powerful heaters have a higher operation cost. Generally, the key factor to consider for a whole house or large house tankless water heater is the heater power and rather not the flow rate. Some of these heaters are designed with a high flow rate but with small power, hence not capable of sufficiently supplying water throughout the whole house.
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What is the Right Size of a Tankless Water Heater Do I Need for a Family of 5?
Tankless water heaters work by supplying hot water continuously while heating up the water simultaneously, unlike the tank water heaters that work by heating up a certain capacity of water and then supplying the hot water. Therefore, to determine the right size of the tankless water heater for your family, it is important to consider the flow rate rather than the storage capacity.
Determining the flow rate involves counting the number of fixtures in your home that will run simultaneously. For a family of five, with 3 to 5 bathrooms and a number of sink faucets as well as laundry taps, an ideal heater should have a flow rate equal to all the faucets running at the same time. This is obtained by adding the total flow rate of these faucets. Generally, for a family of five members, an ideal tankless heater should have a total flow rate of 9 GPM with up to three showers.
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Can You Run out of Hot Water with a Tankless Water Heater?
Unlike the tank water heaters where water is first heated constantly in the storage tank, tankless water heaters only heat up water when required and heat up water as it flows. Therefore, there is no single time you will ever run out of hot water. Also, tankless water heaters have a longer lifespan than the tank model, hence many years of hot water supply.
The only problem associated with tankless water heaters is insufficient water supply in cases of small unit installation for large houses. To ensure that you never run out of hot water, it is important to consider the right size of the tankless water heater in relation to the intended use.
What is the Right Size of a Tankless Water Heater Do I Need for a Family of 3?
To know the right size of the tankless water heater for your family with three members, you should consider the number of faucets in your home, and then considering the number of fixtures that will run at the same time. After this, then determine the flow rate of each fixture to get the total flow rate that will be required at the same time.
Usually, there is a general flow rate range for most fixtures that can help you determine the total flow rate that you require depending on your family uses. For instance, a family of three with two showers, a kitchen sink, and a dishwasher, 6 GPM is an ideal flow rate.
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What is the Right Size of a Tankless Water Heater is Needed for a Family of 4?
The same case happens with a family of four. The number of taps and fixtures using the hot water from the tankless water heater determine the ideal size and flow rate of their tankless water heater. For instance, a family of four with 3 showers, kitchen, and other sinks can require 8 GPM or more depending on how many fixtures that run simultaneously.
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Conclusion.
In conclusion, tankless water heaters are very versatile heaters designed for a constant and reliable supply of hot water. The above article has explained a number of points about the size of a tankless water heater.