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Water Heaters Plus!​​
Simply The Easiest Way To Replace Your Water Heater
OH LIC #27744
Electric Water Heater Sizing
Choose The Size Of Your Next Water Heater
Our ultimate goal is to make your next water heater replacement as affordable and straightforward as possible. If you would prefer one of our expert technicians to come to your home to assess your situation, please contact us. We offer an in-home consultation and will provide you with a written quote at no charge.
What was the capacity of your current water heater? To locate your water heater's capacity you want to find the manufacturers' rating plate or sticker on the front of most water heaters. The size is usually listed as Cap US Gallons. Try to avoid looking at the yellow Energy Guide sticker as the first hour rating is usually what is found there and that is the amount of hot water able to be produced in an hour and is much larger than the tank's actual capacity. If you have problems finding the rating plate, we have included some examples of common tanks below.
Rheem Family / Richmond / Rudd / GE
AO Smith
Bradford White
Things To Consider For Your Next Electric Water Heater
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30-gallon tanks are more expensive and often have a shorter lifespan than 40-gallon models. If you have the space, consider upgrading to a 40-gallon. The 40-gallon models often use less energy as well.
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Upsizing a 40-gallon to a 50-gallon is common. Home builders provide a 40-gallon model as standard, but a 50-gallon often works better for today's households. The larger size will not add a noticeable increase in energy costs, and a 50-gallon tank is often less than $75 more than the same 40-gallon model.
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Today's tanks are larger. If you have a water heater in a tight closet, consider the new water heater's dimensions. Dimensions will be listed right on the ad. Tanks marked as "Tall" will be the narrowest selection available in the product category. These tanks are made for closets. If you have any concerns, remember we do site inspections at no additional charge.
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If you want the performance of a larger water heater but don't have the room, consider choosing the water heater booster option. This non-powered booster can add up to 50% capacity to any tank and can be installed during installation. The cost is an additional $450, but it is cheaper than a larger closet and better than cold showers.
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Consider your household's future needs, and your new water heater could last more than a decade.
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If you have two water heaters installed side by side. You may want to consider a tankless system if your home has natural gas or propane. A tankless unit will replace both water tanks, and considering the energy savings, the return on investment can be less than 2 years in most cases. If you don't have gas service, consider an 80-gallon electric model. This will reduce the overall surface area of the tanks and save a large amount of energy over the life of the unit.
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Electric tankless units typically do not perform well in our area. Electric tankless units require about 80 amps of power to heat enough hot water for one shower during the coldest parts of winter. Even with using 80 amps of power if anyone were to turn on the hot water elsewhere in the home, you would have a freezing shower. To have any chance of being satisfied with an electric tankless, you need 160 amps available in our climate. That would provide hot water to 2 fixtures simultaneously. Given that our largest and newest homes have only 200 amps available for the entire house, a gas tankless water heater is usually a better option. Gas tankless units provide hot water up to 3 fixtures. Propane tankless units can be installed in previously all-electric homes. We have done it many times before. Below is an example of a leased 100-gallon propane tank installed to convert an electric water heater to a tankless system. The propane supplier refills this tank, which can hold enough propane to supply an average household for a year or more.
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