On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:24:05 GMT, "Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:


Ok, our 40 gal gas water heater is failing. About 10 years old, which I
hear is ok.

But every time I talk to someone about their 40 gal water heater, they all
complain that they run out of hot water (comparable size homes and kids).

Bur our builder (and all builder's we spoke to when looking to build)
*insist* that 40 gallons is enough.

But we were always worried about running the wash or dishwasher before
showering, or two long showers would result in the 2nd losing water.
Complete with those water saving disks etc.

1. Is 80 gallons overkill? Perhaps I'm reacting viscerally.


Sounds a lot, but maybe that is what you need. Teenagers use the most
hot water for some reason.

2. Am I going to notice a large gas usage increase?

Maybe. If you have more hot water, there may be less effort to
conserve.

3. Are there rules in place limiting the water tank sizes?


No. But 80 sounds large. A tank with a different height may present
some installation issues, so allow for more time.

4. Are there any particular brands to look for or stay away from?

Stick with well-known brands. I added a thermal blanket to my water
heater, plus insulated all the hot water tubes. I set the water
temperature to 125 degrees. Anything lower than 120 can grow bacteria.
Flush your tank twice a year and it should last longer than 10 years.




I'm sorry for the barrage of questions.