Can Your Water Heater Handle Morning Routines This Fall?
This fall, kids go back to school. The morning routines will include more people taking showers and using hot water within a short amount of time. Is your water heater ready to ensure that everyone has a hot shower before school or work? If you are not sure about your water heater’s performance, you may need to consult with a plumber for repairs or a replacement of the unit.
Is Your Water Heater Large Enough for Your Family?
Water heaters have several measurements listed in their descriptions. One of these measurements refers to the total capacity of the water heater tank. Larger tanks require more energy to heat all the water. However, they provide a greater amount of water before needing to recharge. If you have a four-person family, you will need a 40-gallon gas water heater or a 50-gallon electric water heater. Larger families typically require 80-gallon heaters or larger.
The total size of the tank is not the only metric to determine if the tank will fulfill your family’s needs during the peak demand. Another piece of information is the first-hour rating. This amount indicates how much hot water the tank can supply within an hour. It should always be greater than the peak hour demand of your family.
How to Calculate the Amount of Water Your Family Uses During Peak Demand Times
The peak hour demand is an amount that you must calculate yourself based on what your family does during the period of greatest use on your water heater. Use the following estimations from a home inspector to estimate the water use of your family during the busiest hour of the day:
- 10 gallons per shower
- 14 gallons per dishwasher load
- 10 to 30 gallons per clothes washer load
- 4 gallons per person for hand washing, face washing, or hair shampooing
- 2 gallons per person shaving
For instance, if you have four people, each of whom takes a shower and washes their face, plus one person who shaves, your family will use (4×10) + (4×4) + (1×2) = 58 gallons.
Make sure that your calculated peak hour demand is less than the first-hour rating on your water heater. If it is higher, you may need to replace your water heater with a larger model or cut down on water use during the peak hour.
What About Tankless Water Heater Calculations
The calculations for finding the right tankless water heater depend on the incoming water temperature and the flow rate of the water fixtures you use during peak hour demand. The size of your tankless water heater will be something that you should consult with a professional plumber about to ensure that you get a model to fulfill the needs of your family.
Connect with Best Service Plumber for Help with Water Heater Repairs or Upgrades
If your water heater’s peak-hour use does not meet your family’s needs, upgrade the unit to prepare your household for the busy school year. Contact us at Best Service Plumber to set up a visit from one of our professionals. Our company has served Southern California for more than 35 years, offering customized plumbing solutions, and ensuring customer satisfaction. We can help you to find the right water heater to fulfill your family’s water needs while giving you top-notch service and customer care.
Sources
https://homeinspectioninsider.com/what-size-water-heater-you-need/
https://bestserviceplumber.com/water-heaters/
https://bestserviceplumber.com/contact/
Shortening Your Water Heater Life Span
Most people take their water heater for granted. They turn on a tap and get hot water without thinking. However, they do start to think about the appliance when the supply of hot water has problems or fails.
In fact, these heaters do not last more than 20 years for the longest-lived tankless models. But, you could be doing some things in your home that shorten the life span of your water heater and reducing its efficiency. Find out what you might be doing to impact this appliance and how you can avoid cutting its lifespan prematurely short.
Not Treating Hard Water Going into the Heater
One of the biggest problems for water heaters is mineral buildup from hard water. This type of buildup is especially problematic for those with tank models that store water and keep it heated.
When minerals from hard water separate from the water, they collect on heating anodes and the bottom of the tank. These deposits can reduce the efficiency of electric heating elements and can cause pinhole leaks in the tank.
For homes with hard water, a water softener for the whole home can prevent hard water damage to water heaters and other plumbing appliances.
Failing to Drain a Tank Heater Annually
Tank models can have mineral buildup. However, if you have this style of heater, you can reduce the impact of that buildup by annually draining it. You should drain at least two to three gallons from the tank or until you no longer see sediments.
While this type of service can help, having a professional evaluation of the heater by a plumber who can check the connection and inspect the unit for leaks and other problems may help more.
Not Placing the Water Heater in the Right Location
Where do you keep the water heater? If you have the appliance outside or in a cold basement or outdoor room, it could put the system under extra stress to raise water temperature more in the cold environment. The extra stress on the unit could impact its efficiency.
Find a climate-controlled closet somewhere in the home to store the water heater. It will offer better access for repairs and service and keep the water heater from overworking by compensating for outdoor cold temperatures.
Replace Your Heater or Get Service from Best Service Plumber
Eventually, you will need a new water heater. When your current unit reaches the end of its life, contact us at Best Service Plumber for a replacement or call us at 951-338-8344. We can install the latest tankless models that can give you hot water for 20 years efficiently or a more efficient tank-style heater. Let us take a look at your home to help you choose the type of heater that will suit your plumbing and family’s needs.
With a new water heater and knowledge of how to make it last, you can get more efficient use and long life from it.
Cold Showers and Unclean Dishes? Maybe You Need a New Water Heater
Hot water provides a modern convenience to homes. But did you know that hot water in your home also is a health matter? Without hot water, you may not bathe or shower as often as you should because cold showers are never comfortable. Additionally, clothes and dishes don’t get as clean in cold water as they do in hot because hot water can dissolve powder detergents better and more easily clean off stains. Therefore, if the hot water in your home isn’t working like it used to, you need to get your water heater checked and consider the benefits of a new water heater.
Signs That You Need a New Water Heater
When a water heater stops working completely, you will not get any hot water in your home. However, long before this happens, the unit will have several symptoms of failure, which commonly happens with age or hard water deposit buildup.
First, a worn water heater may make crackling noises when it operates. This happens when the heated water breaks up calcium and other mineral deposits on the bottom of the tank.
Secondly, you may notice debris or discolored water coming out of your hot water taps. Again, hard water deposits often cause these issues.
Why Water Heaters Fail
When hard water minerals form a layer inside the water heater, they do so over all surfaces, including the heating elements. Therefore, electric water heaters may have an insulating layer of minerals around them, preventing them from working. Replacing the heating elements will only offer a brief respite. These new elements will quickly have the same build-up and stop heating, too.
Over time, the mineral deposits could chemically react with the metal of the tank and cause a leak. Due to the hot temperatures of the water, you cannot safely patch such a leak. You will need to have the tank replaced.
Often, these problems occur as a water heater ages. Most standard tank models are only designed for a decade of use before you need to replace them. Tankless water heaters, however, can last up to twenty years.
Benefits of a New Water Heater
Whether you choose a gas or electric, tank or tankless water heater, a new model will reduce your heating costs. Older, worn water heaters no longer become efficient in heating water, raising your utility bills. The latest models use less energy.
You will see even greater savings if you replace a tank water heater with a tankless model. The latter only heat water when needed, instead of keeping water hot all the time. Therefore, tankless water heaters use much less energy and last longer.
Contact Best Service Plumber for a New Water Heater or Repairs of Your Existing Unit
If you want hotter water or hot showers that last longer, phone us at Best Service Plumber at 951-356-9631. We can have a plumber come to your home to see if repairing or replacing your water heater will best serve you. If you choose to get a new water heater, we can also install tank or tankless models, depending on your needs. Let us make your home more comfortable and healthier by getting your hot water working again.