What size hot water system do I need

What size hot water system do I need

If you’re looking for a new hot water system or are thinking about replacing your current one, we know this can be a very daunting task – there are just so many options on the market today. From gas and electric hot water systems to solar and heat pumps, the list goes on. Once you've decided which type of system you want, the next step is choosing the right size. For those of you at this stage of the process, we’ve put together a small guide to help you decide which size will be best for your home.

Sizing a hot water system

As a rough guide, you should allow for 30-40L per person if you're looking at a gas tank storage system and 55-60L for an electric one. However, only you know how much water you use and need, so you'll need to take your personal habits into account as well.

Consider your consumption

Low consumption is considered to be around 20 – 30 litres, average consumption is around 30 – 50 litres and high consumption is roughly 50 – 70 litres. Two households with the same number of occupants can use completely different amounts of hot water, however, so when trying to work out how much hot water you use, consider the following:

  • Showers use roughly 18 litres of hot water per minute at 40 degrees Celsius
  • Baths use around 100 litres of hot water at 40 degrees Celsius

Questions to ask yourself when choosing a hot water system

When thinking about the size of your hot water system, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. How much water do we use on a daily basis?
  2. How many people are currently residing in my house?
  3. How many times (approximately) does everyone shower a day?
  4. Do we use a lot of hot water? 5. Is the water in our washing machine hot or cold?

Our general recommendations


While we can’t offer a definitive answer without knowing your exact circumstances, we can help by giving you some general recommendations based on the size of your household. If you're a household of one to two people, a small gas storage hot water unit or a gas or electric continuous flow system is probably the way to go. On the other hand, if there are three to four people living in your house, then a heat pump water system is an excellent choice. If more than five people are living in your home, then a gas storage hot water system or a large heat pump system would both be great choices. A gas storage hot water system, in particular, is a very economical choice.

Ask the professionals for help

Don’t hesitate to contact our expert team at Plumber To Your Door to help you decide on the best hot water system for you. Give us a call on 0429 949 491 to discuss your requirements or if it’s urgent, feel free to call our 24-hour hotline at 1800 4PLUMBER. Alternatively, you can drop us an email at admin@plumbertoyourdoor.com.


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