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izing water heaters is not a complicated process. It is, however, an important part of most plumbing jobs. Local code requirements call for minimum standards. The minimum facility requirements can be found in any major codebook or local code enforcement office. Since plumbing codes are regional, you will have to check your local code for exact requirements. But, the math that I’m about to show you will work in any location. Some of the numbers might be different, depending on code requirements, but the mathematical procedure will be the same.
When you figure the size of a water heater, remember that the codes offer suggestions and regulations for minimum requirements. The fact that a 40- gallon water heater will pass code may not mean that it is the best size heater for a given job. Use some common sense when sizing water heaters. Skimping on heater size can prove to be frustrating for your customers,- no one enjoys running out of hot water.
There are three types of water heaters that we will discuss. Oil-fired water heaters are the least common of the three. Depending upon where you work, you might find that gas-fired water heaters or electric water heaters are the most prevalent in your region. Overall, electric water heaters are more prolific than gas-fired heaters. Regardless of which type of water heaters you will be working with, you will find the following sizing information helpful.
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Elements of sizing are something that you must understand, so let’s discuss what they are. The first element is the number of bathrooms in a home or building. When we move to the sizing charts in this chapter, you will see three different formats. This is due to the number of bathrooms. An additional element is the number of bedrooms found in a home. The number of bedrooms is very important. Of course, the storage size of a water heater is a key element. Other elements are the recovery rate, the draw, and the input in either British thermal units per hour (Btuh) or kilowatts (KW). i have prepared some sizing tables for you to use that will make your sizing efforts very easy. Let’s look at each table and do a few simple sizing examples to make sure you understand how to use the charts effectively.
