Contents
How Long Does It Take For A Water Heater To Heat Up?
It takes approximately 30-45 minutes for the water in the hot water heater to heat up. Once the temperature has reached its set point, you will have access to hot water within seconds. If your water heater is not heating enough water or if it needs major repairs, it may take longer than 45 minutes for your tank to fully heat up.
Before buying a water heater, consider how long it takes your current water heater to get up to temperature. If you want to take advantage of your hot water supply in large quantities, you’ll need a more powerful system than if all you want is a daily hot shower.
So, how long does it take a water heater to heat water once it reaches the appliance? While several factors can affect the time, the chart below displays how long each water heater takes on average.
How Long It Takes A Water Heater To Heat Up For The First Time
Gas Tank: 30-40 minutes
Gas Tankless: 0 minutes
Electric Tank: 60-80 minutes
Electric Tankless: 0 minutes
How Long Does It Take For A Gas Water Heater To Heat Up?
It takes around 30 to 40 minutes for the water to reach a normal gas tank heater after it enters the tank. This initial heat up happens when new water from your plumbing supply is fed into the tank.
A more precise explanation of why this takes 30 minutes necessitates some arithmetic. The tank size of the heater is, without a doubt, a key consideration. The next major factor is the heater’s BTU (or British Thermal Unit) rating. A BTU measures the amount of heat necessary to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. A heater with greater BTUs can heat water faster.
The average hot water heater tank is 40 gallons, for example. Water has an atomic weight of about 10,000 grams per litre, so the example tank holds approximately 330 pounds of water to be heated.
40 Gallons x 8.3 lbs Per Gallon = 330 lbs of water
Your hot water heater will be ready sooner if you have a smaller tank or a greater BTU rating when it comes to heating your tank if you have a larger tank or a lower BTU rating.
If you want a water heater that will heat your water in the amount of time you need (as soon as it runs out of hot water), as well as store a lot of hot water, these are the criteria to consider. Remember that this is how long it takes for new cold water to be heated in your tank after it has been filled when turning on the hot water for the first time after your tank has stored hot water.
This amount of time it takes to bring new water up to temperature is taken into account when all existing hot water in the tank is consumed. At that time, the gas tank water heater will have to start heating fresh water from the current groundwater temperature once again.
A gas tank water heater will take approximately 30 minutes to heat new incoming water for the first time.
How Long Does It Take An Electric Hot Water Heater To Heat Up?
A gas water heater takes about 20 minutes to heat a full water tank. An electric tank water heater, on the other hand, takes twice as long to warm a 40-gallon container. Electric elements, while frequently more cost-effective, simply can’t match the high performance of gas systems. An electric water heater will take approximately an hour to heat a 40-gallon tank like the one described above when new water enters.
A whole-house gas tank water heater is more expensive than a residential electric water heater and has several other benefits. This is why, in most situations, houses with greater water requirements will choose to install a whole-house gas tank water heater rather than an electric one. Electric models are ideal for small homes and modest water demands.
An electric tank water heater takes 60-80 minutes compared to 30 minutes that a gas tank heater takes to heat water.
How Long Does It Take A Tankless Gas Heater To Warm Up?
A gas-powered water heater heats your water “on demand,” so the distance from your heater to the appliance you’re using is all that matters when it comes to how long it takes to get hot water out of your faucet. With a big house, this may take a few extra seconds for the water pipes to go through and deliver heating elements to distant appliances.
A tankless gas heater heats up water instantly, so it should only take a few seconds before that hot water travels through your pipes into your fixture.
How Long Does It Take A Tankless Electric Heater To Warm Up?
Tankless electric water heaters, like tankless gas water heaters, only begin to warm your water once an appliance demands it. In other words, the water isn’t heated until you turn on the dishwasher or turn on the faucet. An electric tankless heater will generally provide hot water in a matter of seconds, although it may take a little longer than gas systems owing to the strength of gas heat.
A tankless electric heater heats up water instantly, so it should also only take a few seconds before the hot water travels through your pipes into your fixture.