Hot Water Tank Sizes And Capacity

3 4 people you ll need at least a 50 gallon capacity tank electric or a 40 gallon capacity tank natural gas or liquid propane.

Hot water tank sizes and capacity.

Specifying the size of domestic hot water cylinders and tanks is a little easier to determine as the demand tends to be more predictable. This tank size based on the scenario in step 2 is adequate for the peak hourly hot water. It depends on the tank capacity source of heat burner or element and the size of the burner or element. The first hour rating is the number of gallons of hot water the heater can supply per hour starting with a tank full of hot water.

The energyguide label lists the first hour rating in the top left corner as capacity first hour rating. For a tank style heater household size is a simple indicator of hot water needs. Storage tank hot water heaters are sized based on btu input and capacity in gallons. Split systems which store the hot water in an external tank are generally favoured over thermosiphon systems for households with a bigger demand for hot water.

As a rule of thumb households with a higher demand for hot water will need to install more or larger solar collector panels or evacuated tubes on the roof. Choose a hot water heater with a tank size in the range of 50 to 60 gallons on the fhr label. If your family size is 5 or more you ll need an 80 gallon tank electric or a 50 gallon tank natural gas or liquid propane.