When you call on a plumber in Corvallis, OR, from Linn Benton Plumbing about a tankless water heater, it’s important to choose one that’s right for your needs. Below, we run through what to keep in mind as you determine what’s suitable for your home and hot water needs.
AMOUNT OF PLUMBING FIXTURES AND WATER APPLIANCES
The first step in choosing the right tankless hot water heater is to determine how many plumbing fixtures and water appliances require hot water that you’ll likely need to run at once. This is called the flow rate. What you do is add up the flow rates for these devices to get the total flow rate in gallons per minute you’ll need for your on-demand water heater.
TEMPERATURE RISE
Before getting to the actual water heater installation process, you’ll also want to know the temperature rise. Subtract the temperature of your incoming water from your desired output temperature to get this figure. The general recommendation is to use 50 degrees Fahrenheit as a standard temperature for incoming water.
A typical shower gets to around 105 degrees and uses about 2.5 gallons of water, for example. Now, let’s say the water temperature coming into your home is 50 degrees, and you have two bathrooms in your home with showers and you want to have enough hot water to run them both. Therefore, you would need a tankless unit with a temperature rise of at least 55 degrees to allow both showers to run at once at a total of 5 gallons per minute.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
You’ll less likely need a water heater repair in Corvallis, OR if you have a correctly sized unit. In some cases, this may mean having more than one tankless unit in your home. Other factors we recommend considering include:
- Household size
- Overall size of your home
- Number of bathrooms, showers, tubs, and sinks
WE’RE READY TO LEND A HAND
If you’re ready to replace your broken hot water heater with a tankless unit or have other water heater concerns, Linn Benton Plumbing is here for you. We’ll guide you through every step so you can make a confident decision.
Contact us today to take full advantage of our water heater services.
