I need to replace my 50 Gal. gas water heater.
I've been living alone in a house and never run out of hot water. I
always take showers, never baths, and my overall hot water use is
exceptionally low.

I'm wondering about two things.
Would a 40 Gal. tank meet my needs and would I realize a noticeable
savings by going with a smaller tank?

BTW, I rent the tank.

Thanks!

On Aug 23, 6:17*pm, RepairNovice wrote:
I need to replace my 50 Gal. gas water heater.
I've been living alone in a house and never run out of hot water. I
always take showers, never baths, and my overall hot water use is
exceptionally low.

I'm wondering about two things.
Would a 40 Gal. tank meet my needs and would I realize a noticeable
savings by going with a smaller tank?

BTW, I rent the tank.

Thanks!

You mean by a 40 gallon gas heater? Or a 40 gallon electric heater?
If comparing electric versus gas do a cost comparison of the two
fuels, for your area.
.
As long as it provides sufficient hot water each time you use it is
doubtful that you would save very much, if anything noticeabl;e by
installing a smaller tank.
the amount of heat lost from a well insulated tank/heater being very
small. Note:

Also the heat 'lost' from the heater helps, in winter anyway, to warm
the house!

Note. The difference in surface area of a 40 gallon compared to a 50
gallon tank will be approx. of the order of 22% (very roughly). So the
slight difference in loss of heat from the hot water inside a well
insulated tank to the ambient air temperature of whatever room in
which it is installed will be very slight!

My electric company says that my hot water costs, typically, less
than 20% of my total electricity bill. In my case as a single person
less than that. So even if that could be reduced by one quarter the
reduction in cost each month would hardly be significant. maybe 30
cents per day; at best?

My 0.02

"terry" wrote

My electric company says that my hot water costs, typically, less
than 20% of my total electricity bill. In my case as a single person
less than that. So even if that could be reduced by one quarter the
reduction in cost each month would hardly be significant. maybe 30
cents per day; at best?

Look another way. 30cents a day adds up to 30x30=9$ a month. It may not be
much, but it's a decent lunch a month when eating out, or 2 at many a fast
food place.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:53:56 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

Look another way. 30cents a day adds up to 30x30=9$ a month. It may not be
much, but it's a decent lunch a month when eating out, or 2 at many a fast
food place.

That's right. If I could save $9 a month and not notice any hot
water shortage, I'd go for it.

On Aug 23, 4:59�pm, RepairNovice wrote:
On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:53:56 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

Look another way. �30cents a day adds up to 30x30=9$ a month. �It may not be
much, but it's a decent lunch a month when eating out, or 2 at many a fast
food place.

� That's right. If I could save $9 a month and not notice any hot
water shortage, I'd go for it.

i doubt the savings will be that much, ands check the first hour
rating of the old and perspective new water heater. not all are the
same

On Aug 23, 1:59*pm, RepairNovice wrote:
On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:53:56 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

Look another way. *30cents a day adds up to 30x30=9$ a month. *It may not be
much, but it's a decent lunch a month when eating out, or 2 at many a fast
food place.

* That's right. If I could save $9 a month and not notice any hot
water shortage, I'd go for it.

most folks used 20 galon heaters decades back no problem. even with
a family

if you are in a cheap electric area. pacific northwest, an instaneous
water heater will save you a lot

I can get by with a 5 gal heater in my motor home ,, 40 is gross
overkill imo

Phil scott

"phil scott" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

I can get by with a 5 gal heater in my motor home ,, 40 is gross
overkill imo

Probably. I just checked and we have a 40G gas unit. House of 3. We do
have to time our showers/tub baths a bit but it is not hard. The dishwasher
has to be accomodated for as well. Nominally need about 20 mins between
bath/shower/dishwasher uses.

40G is plenty for one person. Ok for 3 with a little timing.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:40:41 -0700 (PDT), terry
wrote:

You mean by a 40 gallon gas heater? Or a 40 gallon electric heater?
If comparing electric versus gas do a cost comparison of the two
fuels, for your area.

Yes I mean replacing my 50 gal. gas heater with a 40 gal. gas
heater.

Wouldn't it cost more money to heat more water on an on-going basis?
Just wondering.

"RepairNovice" wrote in message

Yes I mean replacing my 50 gal. gas heater with a 40 gal. gas
heater.

Wouldn't it cost more money to heat more water on an on-going basis?
Just wondering.

Minimal difference.

FWIW, we had a 40 gallon for our family of four in our old house and we
never ran out of hot water. Showers, laundry, dishwasher, it kept up with
our needs.

The savings to be had are the difference it takes in gas to keep 50 gallon
versus 40 gallons at temperature. This is a direct ratio of the heat loss
of the two tanks as the larger tank has more surface area. In either case,
if you use 10 gallons of hot water it will be replaced by 10 gallons of cold
water and on either sized tank it will cost the same to bring it up to
temperature.

If you heat your house in the winter there will be no savings. The heat
lost from the water through the tank and into the air is just the same as
the heat from your furnace or boiler that would have to run longer, so, your
savings may take place only half the year or so.

I'd replace it with the easiest solution. If the connections of the 50
gallon tank line up, it is an easy swap. If, however, you'd have to re-plumb
for the smaller tank, you'd probably wipe out a year or two in savings.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:24:38 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


FWIW, we had a 40 gallon for our family of four in our old house and we
never ran out of hot water. Showers, laundry, dishwasher, it kept up with
our needs.

Thanks Ed, this is good to know.


In either case,
if you use 10 gallons of hot water it will be replaced by 10 gallons of cold
water and on either sized tank it will cost the same to bring it up to
temperature.

I was just thinking that a 50 gallon tank that needs to be kept at a
certain hot temperature would require more gas than a 40 gallon tank.

I don't know how the tanks work, but I was assuming that the tank's
complete contents are kept at a fixed temperature.

"RepairNovice" wrote in message

I was just thinking that a 50 gallon tank that needs to be kept at a
certain hot temperature would require more gas than a 40 gallon tank.

I don't know how the tanks work, but I was assuming that the tank's
complete contents are kept at a fixed temperature.


Yes, they are. The greater the mass the more heat to be stored and the more
heat given off during the down times. What you need to know is how often
and how long the burner runs just to maintain the heat level. As I said, if
that "lost" heat from the tank is helping to heat your house, there is no
additional cost during heating season.

If you do downsize, under your circumstances even a 30 gallon would be OK.
That is really a lot of hot water for showers or even a batch of laundry,
especially since most can be done in cold water these days.

On Aug 24, 2:22*am, RepairNovice wrote:
On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:24:38 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:

FWIW, we had a 40 gallon for our family of four in our old house and we
never ran out of hot water. *Showers, laundry, dishwasher, it kept up with
our needs.

*Thanks Ed, this is good to know.

In either case,
if you use 10 gallons of hot water it will be replaced by 10 gallons of cold
water and on either sized tank it will cost the same to bring it up to
temperature.

*I was just thinking that a 50 gallon tank that needs to be kept at a
certain hot temperature would require more gas than a 40 gallon tank.

I don't know how the tanks work, but I was assuming that the tank's
complete contents are kept at a fixed temperature.

As pointed out the cost of the slightly less heat leaking from the
surface area of a 40 gallon tank as compared to that leaking from the
surface pf a 50 gallon tank would be minimal.

Also that heat, if you heat your house during say the winter or longer
(depending where you live) merely means that your furnace or other
heating devices would operate slightly longer to make up for the heat
'not' coming from the hot water tank.

Personally thinking the the difference will be so slight that the most
economical plan is just to slap in another heater with exactly the
same dimensions and plumbing hook-ups.

Also as pointed out the cost of hot water is not, usually, one of the
major ongoing household costs. Unless you consider that cost of gas
will increase drastically?

Intensive discussion about the difference in cost of the amount of
heat leaking (into the house itself) from keeping the difference of 10
gallons of hot water at a certain temperature seem rather pointless.
Presumably the water heater/tank is insulated???

What we do is leave warm shower water and the occasional hot bath to
cool down warming the air etc. in the bath room before drainuing it
away. Of course because of moisture we run the bathroom fan while
doing that which 'wastes' some warmed air to outside.

If you are really agonising about the overall cost of hot water and
your hot water use is low; look at the cost of electricity versus gas
in your area and the costs of installing a cheaper and smaller
electric hot water heater. There will also be plumbing costs if you
can't do it yourself. And then get rid of the gas connection, chimney
or flue vent completely.

This discussion is getting far too complicated.

terry wrote:

... The difference in surface area of a 40 gallon compared to a 50
gallon tank will be approx. of the order of 22% (very roughly)

More exactly, (50/40)^(2/3) = 1.16, ie 50 would have 16% more surface.

Nick

On Aug 23, 3:17*pm, RepairNovice wrote:
I need to replace my 50 Gal. gas water heater.
I've been living alone in a house and never run out of hot water. I
always take showers, never baths, and my overall hot water use is
exceptionally low.

I'm wondering about two things.
Would a 40 Gal. tank meet my needs and would I realize a noticeable
savings by going with a smaller tank?

BTW, I rent the tank.

Thanks!

Why rent, buy it its cheaper in the long run, you will save with a
smaller tank. You will also save because the new tank wont have scale
at the bottom. To save more shop and compare by EF energy factor, alot
of cheap ones are still 50 EF

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:02:54 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:


Why rent, buy it its cheaper in the long run, you will save with a
smaller tank. You will also save because the new tank wont have scale
at the bottom. To save more shop and compare by EF energy factor, alot
of cheap ones are still 50 EF

Well had I known I would be still be in the same house ten years ago,
I would have bought a tank then.

If I buy a new tank now and move in a couple of years I think I would
lose out on the deal. A move is a distinct possibility for me in the
next few years.

RepairNovice wrote:

I need to replace my 50 Gal. gas water heater.
I've been living alone in a house and never run out of hot water. I
always take showers, never baths, and my overall hot water use is
exceptionally low.

I'm wondering about two things.
Would a 40 Gal. tank meet my needs and would I realize a noticeable
savings by going with a smaller tank?

BTW, I rent the tank.

Thanks!

Check out the following:

http://www.nipsco.com/energyprograms...rInfoSheet.pdf

It's a rather indirect but valid way of guesstimating the annual savings
a 1 person household would see in replacing an old water heater with a
40 gal vs a 50 gal.

So, assuming that the 40 and 50 gal heaters are equally efficient and
adequate to your needs, you should save approx 20 therms per year with
the 40 gal. Where I live, gas is running between $1.25 and $1.50 per
therm, so that would be a $25 to $30 savings per year.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:21:46 GMT, Erma1ina
wrote:



Thanks Erma for this info!



Check out the following:

http://www.nipsco.com/energyprograms...rInfoSheet.pdf


So, assuming that the 40 and 50 gal heaters are equally efficient and
adequate to your needs, you should save approx 20 therms per year with
the 40 gal. Where I live, gas is running between $1.25 and $1.50 per
therm, so that would be a $25 to $30 savings per year.

"Erma1ina" wrote in message

Check out the following:

http://www.nipsco.com/energyprograms...rInfoSheet.pdf

It's a rather indirect but valid way of guesstimating the annual savings
a 1 person household would see in replacing an old water heater with a
40 gal vs a 50 gal.

So, assuming that the 40 and 50 gal heaters are equally efficient and
adequate to your needs, you should save approx 20 therms per year with
the 40 gal. Where I live, gas is running between $1.25 and $1.50 per
therm, so that would be a $25 to $30 savings per year.

Well that depends. Where is the lost heat going? If it is going into the
house and assisting the home heater there is really no savings at all during
heating season so it may be half what is stated.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote

Well that depends. Where is the lost heat going? If it is going into the

In my case, the lost heat is totally a benefit. It helps heat the garage
and several pipes there burst last year so we had to add a heater. We do
not need to AC the garage in summer, but we have to heat it a bit in winter.

We figured out the change at last. The 'heat unit' was better insulated
while we were gone and the house was rented. This meant less leach hat in
the garage and resulted in a 800$ busted pipe repair last winter. I'm
actually thinking the insulation is costing us more with comparison of a
heater back there, than removal of the added insulation g. Kinda like,
'remove in winter, put back in summer'.

RepairNovice wrote:
I need to replace my 50 Gal. gas water heater.
I've been living alone in a house and never run out of hot water. I
always take showers, never baths, and my overall hot water use is
exceptionally low.

I'm wondering about two things.
Would a 40 Gal. tank meet my needs and would I realize a noticeable
savings by going with a smaller tank?

BTW, I rent the tank.


You RENT the water heater?

How does that work?

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:50:22 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

BTW, I rent the tank.


You RENT the water heater?

How does that work?


Yes my title does a have a poor choice of words, but I didn't say I
rent the water heater, (see above)