Considering A Tankless Water Heater? Discuss With Your Technician

If you’d like to improve the energy efficiency of your home, consider a tankless water heater. The appliance — also known as a demand or instantaneous water heater — heats water only when needed, as opposed to a traditional water heater that continuously heats water in its storage tank, wasting energy and utility dollars. When considering a tankless water heater, invite an expert technician to your home for a consultation and discuss the following sizing considerations to ensure efficiency does not come at the expense of comfort:

Required flow rate: Flow rate factors into sizing for a tankless water heater. To determine the appropriate appliance for your home, the technician will either measure the flow rates (gallons per minute) of the individual water sources in your home or use averages. Accepted averages are 0.5 GPM for a toilet, 2.0 to 3.0 for a bathtub, 1.5 to 2.0 for a shower, 0.5 to 1.5 for a bathroom sink, 1.0 to 2.2 GPM for a kitchen sink, 1.0 to 3.0 for a dishwasher and 1.5 to 3.0 for a clothes washer. The technician will combine the flow rates of each water source that may be used at the same time to determine the required flow rate for your home.

Required temperature rise: The desired temperature of the water in your home (typically 120 degrees) also factors into sizing. The technician will subtract from the desired water temperature the incoming water temperature; an average of 50 degrees proves a common incoming water temperature for northeast Ohio. The resulting number, 70 degrees, will be the required temperature rise for your home, an important temperature to know when considering a tankless water heater.

Once the technician has these two numbers for your home, he will be able to recommend the right tankless water heater, as manufacturers rate their products accordingly.

If you’re considering a tankless water heater and would like the help of a qualified technician, contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling today. We have helped many homeowners in northeast Ohio choose and install tankless water.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about tankless water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!