Customers are often confused when they decide to switch from a conventional tank style water heater to a hybrid. They’ll notice the hybrid units come in much larger sizes than the tank style. This is because hybrid heat pump water heaters can’t heat a tank of water as quickly as the electric models. Well, they can when the hybrid is in electric mode – but the goal is to operate your hybrid using the heat pump as much as possible to save on energy costs. Because of this, we generally recommend sizing up your hybrid water heater. This will ensure you have more hot water stored in your tank so you never run out of hot water!
How to Size Your Hybrid Water Heater According To Your Current Water Heater
If you already have a conventional tank style water heater supplying an amount of hot water that you’re happy with, it’s easy to simply size up your hybrid water. Follow the steps below to find out how.
Step 1
Find the Capacity of Your Current Water Heater
You should start by checking out the size of your current water heater. To find out how many gallons your tank currently holds, look for a sticker on the side of your water heater. It should have your serial number, model number, and other information about your water heater listed. You should be able to find the tank capacity in gallons on this sticker.
Step 2
Size Up Your Current Water Heater to a Hybrid
Here are our general recommendations on sizing:
- If you have a 30 gallon water heater, size up to a 50 gallon hybrid water heater.
- If you have a 40 gallon water heater, size up to a 65 gallon hybrid water heater.
- If you have a 50 gallon water heater, size up to a 85 gallon hybrid water heater.