Sizing Your Tankless

Posted on Aug 21, 2012 | 0 comments

We get asked this question so often it’s time we take an in-depth look at what you need to know to effectively size your tankless water heater. 

Firstly, we have relatively cold winters in Toronto and areas, thus we automatically need a larger tankless system.  We don’t recommend any tankless that produces less than 150,000 BTU’s and most commonly installed systems are rated at 199,000 BTUs. 

Secondly, the number of people in your home matters more than the number of bathrooms, faucets, showers and dishwashers.  For example, if you have 6 bathrooms but only two people live in the residence it is completely pointless to size a tankless that’s capable of running all 6 showers at the same time.  To properly assess your needs figure out how many hot water systems you will use simultaneously.

Lastly, all tankless systems are scalable, if you decide you want a body shower or have a growing family needing more hot water you can simply add a second tankless that will double your output.

Tankless Gas Line Technicalities

Here in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area most homes are fitted with natural gas; this powers everything from your stove to your dryer.  A tankless consumes a lot of gas for very short bursts and this should be clearly understood by your installer.

A tankless has a ¾ inch connection for its gas supply.  A ¾ gas line in your home can provide 273,000 BTUs at a 10 foot run.  A 30 foot run of ¾ will reduce the gas line output to 151,000, much less than some tankless systems require.

Check your homes gas line and see what size pipe comes in from the gas meter and make a note of what appliances are feeding off that main line.  Your homes gas lines need to be sized so there is enough gas supply should all appliances need to run simultaneously. 

If you have any further questions about your situation give us a call.

(647) 925-1930

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