What is a high recovery water heater?
When choosing a water heater for your home and household, you’ll need to consider several aspects including size and what kind of fuel—usually gas or electric—the water heater will run on. In addition to size and fuel type—natural gas is the most common—you’ll want a unit that is energy efficient and recovers hot water quickly. A high recovery water heater might be an option for you, especially if you have a large family that uses a lot of hot water. These are units, usually larger, with extremely fast recovery times. You can find labels on the unit that show its energy efficiency and recovery time or first-hour rating (FHR)—how quickly it heats water. When selecting your water heater, FHR is a key measure, and you’ll want a unit that can manage your household’s usage. The higher the FHR, the higher the recovery.
While most households with a one-and-a-half bath can operate fairly efficiently with a 40-gallon tank for larger households, a bigger tank—50 gallons or more—is required. These bigger tanks often have higher recovery times. One of the best ways to determine what kind of water heater you might need is to talk with a plumbing professional, especially one that specializes in water heaters like Chattanooga Water Heater Co.. You can also get help with high recovery water heater installation in Chattanooga, TN. Learn more about how we can help by calling 423-718-7342
What is a good recovery rate for a hot water heater?
If your household uses a lot of hot water, a high recovery water heater may be right for you. These units are usually larger—50 gallons or more—but the size of the tank isn’t what matters the most, it’s the recovery rate. This number measures how quickly in an hour it takes your water heater to heat water to 90 ¼ degrees. The number appears as gallons per hour (gph). A normal 50-gallon unit heats water at around 40 gph, and the higher the gph, the faster you’ll get hot water, and the more you’ll be able to use at any one time. Some heavy-duty models get 50-60 gph, and certain brands can produce almost 160 gph. What’s best for your household should be determined by how much hot water you use. You might have a large household that uses very little hot water or a small family with young children that uses a lot of water for baths, laundry and cleaning. The small family, in this case, might need a unit with a high recovery rate.
High recovery water heater vs regular
When choosing between a high recovery water heater and a regular unit, you’ll weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both.
- Regular water heaters are less expensive and cheaper and easier to install
- Regular water heaters are less efficient than high recovery.
- For gas heaters, the room where it is installed must be fire-rated and venting must be adequate
- High recovery water heaters are more efficient and cost less to operate.
- Hot water is created much more quickly with high recovery.
- No fire-rated room is required.
- Installation costs can be higher for high recovery units, depending on venting.
How long does it take for a 50 gallon water heater to run out of hot water?
In general, a standard water heater will deliver about two-thirds of its capacity at a time. If you use about 2 gallons of hot water per shower, a 50-gallon tank will run out of hot water after about 17 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes for the tank to refill and another 20 minutes or so to heat back up.
How long does it take for a 40 gal water heater to recover?
The time for a 40-gallon water heater to recover will depend on whether it is gas or electric. A gas water heater will take about an hour to recover, while an electric water heater will take about two hours. If you have a high recovery water heater, which normally has a larger tank, it will heat the water in much less time, on average about 20 minutes.
Electric water heater with a high recovery rate
Recovery rates for electric water heaters will vary. A key to a high recovery rate for an electric high recovery water heater is the wattage of the unit’s heating element. A small 750 watt heating element will only heat 3.4 gph to 90 degrees, while a 6,000-watt unit can heat water to 90 degrees at 27.3 gph.
High recovery gas water heater
Typically, if you are getting a high recovery water heater, you’ll be getting a gas water heater. The recovery rate is figured on BTU (British thermal units). A 30,000 BTU unit will raise the water temperature to 90 degrees at 30.3 gph, while a 100,000 BTU unit will raise the temperature to 90 degrees at 101 gph.
What is the most reliable hot water heater?
There are multiple great water heaters on the market today. Among the leading brands are Rheem, AO Scott, and Whirlpool. Many consider the Rheem Performance Platinum Gas Water Heater the best high recovery water heater on the market today. It has a 50-gallon tank with 40,000 BTU/hour recovery. It’s a good unit for a medium-sized household. Of course there are plenty of great brands out there and if you are looking for a high recovery water heater in Chattanooga, TN, let the professionals at Chattanooga Water Heater Co. help you select the very best for your family. Find out how we can help or book a service appointment by calling 423-718-7342.
