Modern tankless water heaters can bring tremendous convenience and energy efficiency to homeowners. As a result, tankless water heaters are rapidly becoming a popular option for many who want to avoid the time tested traditional of running out of hot water at the wrong moment. A tankless water heater, as the name would suggest, is an appliance that can instantaneously heat water on demand without the traditional tank used to store the heated water. Because the water is heated as it passes through the appliance, there is no need for tank storage. Most companies offering bathroom or kitchen plumbing repair in Pittsburgh, PA, can advise you on the installation of a tankless hot water heater at your home. There are many benefits that come with the installation of a tankless water heater, as the appliance provides precisely heated, instantly available water with little wasted energy.
Before you contact one of the plumbing services in your area to install a tankless water heater, it's a good idea to consider what size water heater you'll need to meet your demand for hot water. There are many factors that can influence the size of the water heater you'll need, so you should educate yourself before you decide on which device is best for you. Keep reading to learn how to choose the right sized tankless water heater for your residence.
Size of Your Home
While it may not be intuitive to consider the size of the house when selecting the proper size of the water heater, the number of rooms with hot water in your home is certainly something to ponder. For example, if you only have a kitchen and single bathroom that need access to hot water, you won't need a large water heater to meet the potential demand. However, if your home is expansive and features multiple bathrooms in addition to a kitchen, you may need a larger unit to supply the needed volume of water if all fixtures are being used at the same time.
Size of Your Household
While the square footage and number of bathrooms can be a deciding factor when selecting a tankless water heater, so, too, is the size of your household. In other words, you should consider how many people live in your home and use hot water at any given time. If you live alone, you may not need a large water heater even if you have two bathrooms and a kitchen in your home. However, if you have a large family that could potentially need hot water concurrently, you should opt for a larger water heater to make sure that the demand is met if all the fixtures are in use at the same time.
Desired Flow Rate
In the context of residential plumbing, the flow rate describes the speed at which water moves through your system. That rate will vary depending on the number of fixtures that are open at any one time. For example, if one person is taking a shower, the flow rate to that single fixture may be higher than if two people are taking showers from two heads at the same time. That can impact your choice when selecting a tankless water heater because your heater should have a flow rate that can accommodate the number of fixtures that are being used in the house. If the flow rate of one shower head is 1.8 gallons per minute, then the flow rate of the water heater would need to be 1.8 gallons per minute. However, if you have two other shower heads with the same flow rate, the needed water heater flow rate would be 5.4 gallons per minute to accommodate all three shower heads running at once.
With the help of a plumbing installation contractor in Pittsburgh, PA, homeowners can avail themselves of the many benefits offered by tankless water heaters. To learn more about the factors you should consider when selecting the right size tankless water heater for your home, contact Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning at (412) 273-1000.