What Size Hot Water System Do I Need?

To save money on new water heating equipment for your home – and manage the space it takes up – you may well be wondering what size hot water system do I need? However, the biggest consideration may well be long-term energy efficiency.

It is important to make sure you’re not heating more water than your home’s occupants will actually use.

Having hot water whenever you need it is important, whether you live alone or have a large family. However, so is managing your energy bills and your initial investment in the best options for residential hot water supply.

Also, you may have sustainability considerations when you are debating ‘the best size of hot water system for my property?’.

To help you make this decision – whether you are replacing a boiler or commissioning heating system installation for a new home – here are some handy tips from the team at 1touch Plumbing

Cost counts

Some people start with what they can afford to pay, and then look for the biggest or most advanced water heating equipment that comes within their budget.

The problem with this is that it could leave you using and heating more water than is required.

We cover the cost of water bills in Australian homes elsewhere on our plumbing services website.

An excellent way to properly manage water use, as well as energy efficiency, is to make sure you have modern plumbing equipment installed in your Townsville area home that only uses and heats the optimal amount of water.

Water to occupant ratio

Every household varies, and you may have young children who need daily bathing or teenagers who avoid the shower as much as possible!

However, to answer the question ‘what size hot water system do I need?’ there is a rule of thumb to help you. The recommended ratio is usually 20 – 30 litre capacity per resident of your home, per day.

If you feel you use hot water more than the average family, then you might want to go as far as 60 litres per person.

On some plumbing services websites, you may see ways to choose hot water system sizes expressed in terms of rooms. So, for example, each bedroom/bathroom requires a cylinder capacity of 120-150 litres. This is a more hit-and-miss approach though, as not all your bedrooms will be occupied, and not everyone in your household will use the shower or bath daily.

Where your hot water goes

The main reason Australian homeowners are concerned about hot water system size is to ensure they can keep their families clean. Heating a home is not as big an issue as it is in some countries.

As a further guide to sizing a new hot water system, showers use an average of 18 litres of hot water each minute they are in use. A decent bath would involve 100 litres of hot water.

Keep in mind that some showers use more water than others to maintain pressure. Also, if you have a dishwasher that uses a hot water supply, having that on frequently due to a large family will naturally impact on your daily water usage.

Will I run out of hot water?

If you opt to install a hot water heating system with a compact cylinder, you may find that use exceeds capacity.

However, there’s some good news about modern hot water systems, properly installed by our professional and authorised Townsville area plumbers. Once the overall capacity has been established, your equipment will provide a reliable flow of glorious hot water to your home.

That’s because the best local plumbers will always match the most appropriate hot water cylinder size to the boiler or other heat source that ensures constant and reliable supply.

That’s not to say at the peak times people shower or bathe, such as first thing in the morning, the queue for the bathroom won’t still be an issue still!

Maintenance for advanced hot water systems

There is sometimes hesitancy to install the latest hot water systems, in case they are high maintenance. This may lead you to choose smaller, more traditional equipment, that will quickly become outdated or inadequate.

We can recommend the latest, easy-to-care-for hot water equipment for your home in the Townsville area – systems engineered and installed to meet demand, which are also robust and long-lasting.

Then, when you do need servicing or repairs for residential hot water systems, you will have us on speed dial for a quick response.

Where can I get advice on hot water systems?

These tips are a starting point, but the best way to decide the type and size of hot water supply system you need is to bring in a friendly, approachable expert. The highly trained engineers at Townsville plumbers 1touch would be pleased to discuss what you need, in terms of usage, and your household budget.

This is all part of our dedication to being transparent on pricing and all project details. Contact us for a no obligation chat.