How Much Gas Does a Hot Water Heater Use? Most gas hot water heaters use between 20-50 therms of gas per month. A therm is a unit of measurement for natural gas and is equivalent to 100,000 BTUs. So, if you have a gas hot water heater, it's likely using around 2,000-5,000 BTUs per hour.
As an example, a medium-sized, 40-gallon water heater that uses . 205 therms per hour and is active for a couple of hours per day at a rate of $1 per therm costs about $0.62 to operate per day, which comes to $18.60 each month or $226 annually.
Gas Water Heater
Gas water heaters cost about $30 per month to operate on average. Gas is usually less expensive in most areas, compared to electricity.
A home with two or fewer people can be served by a 23- to 36-gallon tank. A tank size of 36- to 46-gallons is best for homes of up to four people. A home with five people can be served by a 46- to 56-gallon tank. For six or more people, look at larger tanks with a 60-gallon or greater capacity.
Gas water heaters are cheaper to use than electric heaters because, on average, gas is cheaper than electricity. You'll spend more money using an electric heater than a gas heater. Gas water heaters also heat water faster than electric units and are helpful in a power outage.
Heat pump water heaters move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly for providing hot water, resulting in high efficiencies and significant cost savings. Solar water heaters use the sun's heat to provide hot water and also save money on energy bills.
Usually natural gas is the cheapest way to heat water, followed by electricity, with propane being the most expensive.
1-2 people need a 30-gallon water heater. 2-3 people need a 40-gallon water heater. 3-4 people need a 40-50 gallon water heater. 5 or more people need a 50-80 gallon water heater.
You can estimate the necessary tank capacity (in gallons) based on the number of people in the house: 1 or 2 people—23 to 36 gallons. 2 to 4 people—36 to 46 gallons. 3 to 5 people—46 to 56 gallons.
Savings resulting from turning down your water heater temperature are based on reducing standby losses (heat lost from water heater into surrounding area). Set too high, or at 140ºF, your water heater can waste anywhere from $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses.
This is because, in addition to connecting the water heater to your home's plumbing, you'll also need to connect it to a gas line. This means that the installation process for a gas water heater is typically more expensive and requires more skills than an electric installation.
For instance, a typical shower uses about 10 gallons of hot water. So, if you have a 40-gallon hot water tank, you should be able to get four average-length showers out of your hot water tank. This also depends on how much hot water you use for other things.
A properly and professionally installed gas hot water heater will provide hot water most quickly. An average 40-gallon heater will only take about 30 to 40 minutes to provide heat water, while you can expect hot water from a larger tank (80-gallons) in approximately 60 to 70 minutes.
In general, 40-gallon heaters last eight years, while 50-gallon heaters can last 12 years. This is because 50-gallon heaters have thicker tanks. As a result, they are less likely to develop leaks. A 50-gallon water heater will last about 8 to 20 years, which is longer than most water heaters.
Typically, the rule-of-thumb is that you want a 40 gallon tank for 1 to 4 people, a 50 gallon tank for 4 to 6 people, and a 50 gallon high recovery or 75 gallon tank for 6 to 8 people.
Efficiency. If you are comparing the efficiency of an electric water heater vs a gas unit, electric heaters are more efficient. Although gas hot water heaters are less expensive to run monthly due to the low cost of natural gas—a gas heater uses more energy to operate and releases waste into the environment.
If you have several users and the hot water runs out, set the timer to run before and during bathtime. Let the timer go off afterwards. There is likely to be enough stored hot water to last all day. If your daily usage is less than the cylinder holds, just run it once a day for about half an hour.
A 50 gallon water heater is the most common tank we install. It is such a common size because it can supply hot water for 3 – 5 people. Considering an average shower uses 17.2 gallons of water you can typically have enough hot water for up to five people to take a shower within an hour.
What size of a house is a 40-gallon water heater good for? Based on typical water usage, a 40-gallon water heater should provide enough daily hot water for 2-4 people in a household.
A standard 40-gallon tank will last between 10 and 15 years while larger tanks (50 gallons) have a lifespan of up to 20 years. If you live in an area with hard water, the life expectancy of your water heater may be much shorter than if you lived in an area with soft water.
The disadvantages to a water heater fueled by gas are: Generally more expensive on the front-end cost. Requires more maintenance. Less efficient when it comes to heat loss.
What type of shower is the most cost-effective? Given the cost of gas is only about 25% that of electricity (as of July 2023 under the energy price cap), in theory, a mixer or power shower might be more cost-efficient than an electric shower.
Average Lifespan Of A Hot Water Heater
With regular inspection, draining, and flushing, you can expect a gas water heater to last anywhere from 8-12 years and an electric water heater to last anywhere from 10-15 years.