Selecting Your Water Heater
Choose the Right American Water Heater for your needs
Shopping for a new water heater? Track down this information before you call a contractor or plumber. Most items can be found on the exterior labels of the unit.
- • How many gallons of capacity is your current water heater?
- • Electric units: What is the wattage (KW) and voltage of your current water heater?
- • Gas units: Does the unit run on natural gas or propane?
- • Gas units: What is the diameter of the exhaust vent on the current water heater?
How Much Capacity?
How to Choose the Right American Water Heater to meet your needs
Ensure that you select the right water heater for your needs by asking a few simple questions. The answers to the questions below will help you make the right purchasing decision:
- • What is the gallon capacity of the old water heater?
- • What wattage (KW) and voltage is the old electric water heater?
- • What type of fuel (natural gas or propane gas) is the old gas water heater?
- • What exhaust vent diameter is used on the old gas water heater?
- • What are the dimensions of the old water heater (Diameter ____ Height ____ )?
- • Did your old water heater provide enough hot water?
The sizing guide below can be used to assist you in choosing the right water heater to meet your needs.
Sizing Guides
Residential Sizing Guide
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Commercial Sizing Program
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Click the image below to view the
residential sizing guide. |
Click the image below to access the
commercial sizing program. |
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Other things to consider
- • If someone is running out of hot water in the household it could be due to items such as oversized or jetted tubs, using multiple consecutive showers or several large loads of laundry. A larger capacity water heater should be considered.
- • Gas units: Check to make sure exhaust vent will handle a larger water heater with more BTU input.
- • If a family is planning to stay in their home for a long period of time, models made with a longer warranty should be considered. It's less expensive when installation and maintenance expenses are considered.
- • Electric units: If the water heater has hard water that leaves deposits on fixtures and requires frequent replacement of heating elements, self-cleaning models should be considered.
