When you need a water heater replacement, you generally need one in a hurry. Either the old water heater has quit working leaving you to deal with ice cold showers or worse, the old water heater has started leaking and flooded your den or basement.
Whether you fall into one of these categories or you are one of the fortunate few who have the foresight to replace your water heater before it goes out, don’t just choose the first water heater you see at the big box store. Take a few minutes to sort through your options and choose a water heater that will do a great job for you and your family for years.
Choosing the proper tank size and a high R-value will help reduce your energy costs, but you should also focus on the first hour rating (FHR) to help you choose and appropriately sized water heater. The first hour rating is the amount of water that a water heater can supply in an hour starting with a full tank of hot water. The size of the tank affects the first hour rating, but so does the type of fuel (gas or electric) and the size of the heating element or burner.
First, estimate how much hot water is needed during the peak hour of hot water usage during the day. For many families this is first thing in the morning when the family is getting ready for work and school. In other households, it might be in the evening hours.
Once you have an estimate of the peak hour demand for hot water in your home, look for a water heater with FHR within a couple gallons of your peak hour demand. This will help ensure that you will not run out of hot water during peak usage periods, but will minimize energy consumption for standby heat loss.
