# How big of a hot water heater?



## propertyone (Jan 23, 2009)

Hello,
I am fixing up a house, 3 bedroom cape, and need to replace the hot water heater. My plumber said a 50 gal is to small and I need a 80 gal. I live in ma, just wondering what you guy thought.
Thanks Rico


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

propertyone said:


> Hello,
> I am fixing up a house, 3 bedroom cape, and need to replace the hot water heater. My plumber said a 50 gal is to small and I need a 80 gal. I live in ma, just wondering what you guy thought.
> Thanks Rico


So you really thought posting the number of bedrooms and not bathrooms, or kitchen info was the route to go huh?:thumbsup:

You did Post its MA maybe we can size it by state.


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

If there is several in the family that like to take long shower and take shower one right after the other then yes, upgrade to an 80 gal, if there is just a few 2 to 3 family members then it's not that big a deal.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

propertyone said:


> Hello,
> I am fixing up a house, 3 bedroom cape, and need to replace the hot water heater. My plumber said a 50 gal is to small and I need a 80 gal. I live in ma, just wondering what you guy thought.
> Thanks Rico


How many bathrooms?

What is the incoming water temperature?


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Ron The Plumber said:


> If there is several in the family that like to take long shower and take shower one right after the other then yes, upgrade to an 80 gal, if there is just a few 2 to 3 family members then it's not that big a deal.


I forgot I am suppose to be nice.:thumbup:


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

rbsremodeling said:


> I forgot I am suppose to be nice.:thumbup:


I'm not nice, I'm mean and a bully. :laughing:


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## propertyone (Jan 23, 2009)

Sorry Sorry, Just one bathroom! Not sure of the water temp. Thanks !!!!!!!!


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

bwalley said:


> What is the incoming water temperature?


:blink:


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Celtic said:


> :blink:



I don't get it? break down for me Hammer


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

propertyone said:


> Sorry Sorry, Just one bathroom! Not sure of the water temp. Thanks !!!!!!!!


The reason I asked about water temp, is because that is how you figure the required temperature rise, I am in florida, so obviously our water coming in is warmer than in northern states.

1 bathroom, a 50 gallon would be more than enough, is it gas or electric?

If it is gas, a 30 gallon would probably be enough.


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## propertyone (Jan 23, 2009)

Wow , you plumbers are a different breedarty:! Thanks.


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

rbsremodeling said:


> I don't get it? break down for me Hammer





bwalley said:


> The reason I asked about water temp, is because that is how you figure the required temperature rise, I am in florida, so obviously our water coming in is warmer than in northern states.


So what time of year do we take this water temp. measurement in the "north"?

Summer...Fall..Indian Summer...Winter.....Spring ????


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

propertyone said:


> Wow , you plumbers are a different breedarty:! Thanks.



We try not to be bully's on here, your welcome. :thumbup:


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## propertyone (Jan 23, 2009)

Its electric, he said if it was gas 40 would be good, but the recovery time on a electric is very slow.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

Celtic said:


> So what time of year do we take this water temp. measurement in the "north"?
> 
> Summer...Fall..Indian Summer...Winter.....Spring ????


Groundwater is same temperature all year long in Florida, not sure if it changes up north.

But to size a water heater, you would use the lowest temperature, because if you have significantly warmer water in the summer than in the winter, it will be undersized.


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## 1contractor (Mar 5, 2009)

why don't you use a tankless system on demand don't waste fuel keeping it warm.


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

bwalley said:


> But to size a water heater, you would use the lowest temperature, because if you have significantly warmer water in the summer than in the winter, it will be undersized.


So when we want to install a WH in the summer...we have to wait until winter to take the measurement?


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

propertyone said:


> Its electric, he said if it was gas 40 would be good, but the recovery time on a electric is very slow.


I have a 5 bedroom 3 bathroom house in Florida, there are 6 people living here, I have a 50 gallon electric water heater, with 4500 watt elements, it works well for us.

80 gallon seems to be rather large for a 1 bathroom house.


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

I'd agree go with a fifty.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

Celtic said:


> So when we want to install a WH in the summer...we have to wait until winter to take the measurement?


I am sure somewhere in a code book it will give you the incoming water temperature, or it may even have a chart for sizing water heaters.

We do heat load calculations for A/C and look up the temeparture zone, we don't wait for summer to see how hot it is.


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