On Jan 21, 7:19?pm, "AlaJoe"
wrote:
? ? I have a 50 Gallon electric water heater
that is
just not getting the job done. One person can
shower as
long as he wants but the recovery time is just
too long
between users and My wife, My kid and ,myself
are trying
to take showers within one hour and it just
will not
keep up. So I am looking to either add an
additional
water heater and split off one bathroom or
increase the
size of the one. My question is about energy
usage.
? ? I have looked at 30-80 gallon heaters and
there does
not appear to be much difference in energy
usage. The 30
Gallons heater have an annual energy estimate
of about
$405 to $410 and 80 gallon heaters about $440
to $450.
Does this mean if ?I add a 30 gallon water
heater in
addition to the 50 gallon I already have to
seperate one
bathroom I will spend about $820 to $850 a year
to keep
80 gallons of water heated to where I could buy
just one
80 gallon and only spend about $450?
? ? Would one 80 gallon allow three people to
take back
to back showers? Which set up would work best?

Joe

a second tank will nearly double costs.

do you have natural gas propane or heating oil
available
at your home?

how big is your service entrance? 200 amps?

With that long a recovery time, wouldn't it be
more likely there is a burned out element? It
probably just needs replacement.

Personally I wouldn't see two water heaters; it's
too expensive. Electric ones are slower to
recover, but not that slow. If it turns out to
not be an element problem, then perhaps change it
out for the 80 gallon, but for a household of what
looks like 3, even a 50 gallon is more than enough
in most instances.

Aside: We have a 30 gallon fuel-oil fired water
heater, and it's never run out of hot water for
showers, even when our two teens lived with us.
It can recover almost as fast as you use it. It's
also 30 years old and just shot another rod, so
.... I'm in the market for another one, but they
are scarce to purchase anymore.

Twayne