WATER HEATER SIZING RULES OF THUMB

1- Rules Of Thumb for Single Home/Apartment

the first two persons Assume 20 gallons of water each

Each additional person Assume 15 gallons of water per person

So a family of four would be using (2x20 +15 +15 =70) gallons of water per day. 

2- Rules Of Thumb for Hospitals & Nursing Homes

As a preliminary estimate, some designers use a rule of thumb of 125 gallons of

140ºF water per bed per day as basis for the hot water requirement.

Max. Hour Max. Day Avg. Day

Nursing Homes
4.5 gal/bed 30.0 gal/bed 18.4 gal/bed
(Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)

3- Rules Of Thumb for Hotels & Motels

Motel/Hotels
Max. hour Max. Day Avg. Day
Number of units
20.0 gal/unit
20 unit or less 6.0 gal/unit 35.0 gal/unit

14.0 gal/unit
60 units 5.0 gal/unit 25.0 gal/unit

100 units or more 4.0 gal/unit 15 gal/unit 10.0 gal/unit

(Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)

4- Rules of Thumb for Apartments

Apartments
Max. hour Max. Day Avg. Day
Number of Units
80.0 gal/unit
20 unit or less 12.0 gal/unit 42.0 gal/unit

40.0 gal/unit
50 units 10.0 gal/unit 73.0 gal/unit

38.0 gal/unit
75 units 8.5 gal/unit 66.0 gal/unit

100 units 7.0 gal/unit 60.0 gal/unit 37.0 gal/unit

200 units or more 5.0 gal/unit 50.0 gal/unit 35.0 gal/unit
 (Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)

5- Rules of Thumb for Dormitories

Dormitories Max. hour Max. Day Avg. Day

13.1 gal/student
Men's dormitory 3.8 gal/student 22.0 gal/student

12.3 gal/student
Women's
5.0 gal/student 26.5 gal/student
dormitory
(Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)

6- Rules of Thumb for Restaurants

Food service
Max. hour Max. Day Avg. Day
establishments
Type "A"
Full meal 1.5 gal/max. 11.0 gal/max. 2.4 gal/max.
restaurant/cafeterias meal/hour meal/hour meal/hour
Type "B"
Drive-ins, grilles,
0.7 gal/max. 6.0 gal/max. 0.7 gal/max.
luncheonettes, deli
meal/hour meal/hour meal/hour
shops
(Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)

8- Rules of Thumb for Schools & Gymnasiums

Max. hour Max. Day Avg. Day

0.6 gal/student
Elementary School 0.6 gal/student 1.5 gal/student

Jr. and Sr. High

1.0 gal/student 3.6 gal/student 1.8 gal/student
School
(Source- ASHARE Chapter 45, Table 7)