As per the Energy Department, a small family water heater utilizes nearly 17% of the household energy.
It makes the water heater a massive factor determining your household’s energy efficiency levels and the corresponding monthly energy bill.
But most peeps hardly think of upgrading their water heater until their previous one stops working, or at least when it is on its last leg; they make an effort to replace it.
Individuals often do not give much importance to their water heater when they avail themselves hot water, and however, once it stops, they give it a thought.
As a homemaker, it is crucial to have fundamental knowledge regarding how the heating system functions in your house. Also, it will benefit you as you would even know the feasible options available to you, exceptionally when you require to weigh in the difference between a 4500 Watt and a 5500 Watt water heater for your home.
In this article, we have discussed and compared 4500 Watt and 5500 Watt water heaters. There are also a few important things you need to consider before deciding on the right water heater for your home.
To cut down the chase, one of the most significant distinctions between the two water heaters is the time that it takes to recover once the warm water in the heater storage tank is used up.
How Should You Select A Water Heater?
If you are one of those on a continuous hunt for an efficient water heater for your home, you most likely require considering various styles, prices, and energy sources.
Whether you should purchase gas or an electric water heater? Should you opt for a tankless water heater? What storage tank system do you prefer – whether tall or short?
Most people tend to purchase a brand new water heater which falls in the same category of energy source as the previous water heater in their house.
For instance, if the family’s electric heater requires any repair or broke all of a sudden, they would often purchase an electric heater as a replacement. It is because they would avail a setup system that already exists. The same would be entirely accurate for the gas water heater as people tend to use the same energy source for their water heaters.
However, before choosing an efficient water heater for your house, you should weigh in all the factors that determine its output, its pros, and cons, etc. Once you consider all the elementary factors before making the purchase, the chances of making the right choice would be more.
Electric water heaters generally come with one 5500 Watt or two 4500 Watt elements for regular household usage. The recovery time depends on the power input.
The higher the BTU input of the water heater is, the faster its water heating time and recovery time. Both 4500 and 5500 Watt heaters need to be connected to a storage tank for the water to heat up for regular usage.
4500 Vs. 5500 Watt Water Heater – As Per Storage Capacity and Amount of Electricity Used
Both the 4500 Watt and 5500 Watt water heaters are electric heaters, denoted by the amount of electricity the water heaters use.
To properly set the water heaters, a circuit which can tackle the electricity amount running via it should already be installed. Both the heaters, a circuit of 230 v 30 amp should do.
Both the water heaters, i.e., 4500 and 5500 Watt, are well connected to the storage tanks that cater to efficiently storing household water once it gets heated up. For a typical household, a storage tank holds between 50 and 80 gallons of water.
The water heater’s storage tank size depends on the house size and the number of people residing in the home. People prefer a water heater that provides an on-demand water supply at the optimal temperature for carrying out their regular works. And choosing the type of water heater will entirely depend on your requirements.
4500 Watt Water Heater
Those households with 4500 Watt water heaters would run the breaker and wire at a cooler temperature than 5500 Watt. For all such electrical appliances, heat is an enemy.
The heat causes wear and tear on the breakers, power company transformer, busbar, etc. It leads to a rise in expense as repairing such water heaters costs massively.
Pros
- 4500 Watt is way better than 5500 Watt from a conservative viewpoint.
- Less cheap than a 5500 Watt water heater.
Cons
- Fails to heat water faster as a 5500 Watt water heater
- Can heat 18 to 25 gallons of water every hour, which is up to 7 gallons lower than 5500 Watt.
5500 Watt Water Heater
Generally, when utilizing a 4500 Watt heater, it can simply process where around 18 to 25 gallons of water every hour is heated compared to a 5500 Watt heater that heats between 25 and 35 gallons every hour.
On conducting the mathematics, it reveals that the 5500 Watt water heater processes over 4 to 7 gallons of water more than a 4500 Watt water heater.
Pros
- It processes more water than a 4500 Watt water heater.
- Suitable for a big family of more than four members.
Cons
- A 5500 Watt heater, though, heats faster, puts enhanced strain on the tank, and causes the warranty to cover those not mentioned problems.
Solution: Note that there is most probably zero measurable effect on the tank’s longevity itself by turning on the thermostat or by including in a 5500 Watt water heater if the tank is new, not rusted, etc. as the TP valve and the thermostat ECO, i.e., the energy cut off or reset button will ultimately protect the tank from high pressure and overheating.
As per the electrical code, residential 240 V water heaters are needed to have ten gauge wire with about 30 amp breaker, which is completely fine for the 5500 Watt as the maximum safe calculation is 30 amp X 80%, which equals 24 amps.
Note that 24 amps X 240 V equals 5760 W. Thus, a 30 amp breaker and ten gauge wire would safely support 5500 elements. But in the case of 12 gauge wire and 20 amp breaker (which are at times found in older houses are still in code that is usually applied when the home was constructed), it will not support 5500 Watt. Avoid upsizing the breaker to thirty amp until the wire gets changed to a larger ten gauge for matching the safe wiring codes.
Solution: Water heater manufacturers mostly install tiny 12 gauge wire in the water heater, connecting to the elements and thermostat. For checking your tank, purchase a short piece of ten-gauge solid copper wire from the local hardware and compare the copper size with the wire in the tank.
When it is about water heater price, a 500 Watt heater costs up to $829, while a 5500 Watt heater would cost up to $ 1,350. That said, it is crucial to remember your annual operational expense for a 5500 Watt water heater is comparatively more, and even its cost of purchasing the machine is higher.
4500 Vs 5500 Watt Water Heater
The significant difference between a 4500 and a 5500 Watt water heater is how much time each water heater takes to bring the water to its optimum heating level.
You can also compare them by the time each water heater takes to recover after finishing the hot water in the storage tank. It is essential to know how long each water heater takes to heat the water before buying one for your household.
Generally, a 4500 Watt heater heats about 18 to 25 gallons every hour. 5500 Watt water heaters can heat about 25 to 35 gallons of water every hour.
You should have probably performed the calculation as it means that a 5500 Watt heater can heat about four to seven more gallons of water every hour compared to a 4500 Watt water heater. To be precise, water does not get warmer with lower Wattage of water heater neither does the water become warmer faster when you run the heater.
The difference in energy consumption depends on how long the storage tank takes to heat the water in the heater’s storage tank once the water gets depleted.
Which One Should I Get – A 4500 Watt or A 5500 Watt Water Heater?
Suppose you are confused about whether you should opt for a 4500 Watt water heater or a 5500 Watt water heater; first, you should set up squares down to your personal preference and price range.
For example, if you have a family of just four members that takes numerous showers each day. All of you use warm water for doing the dishes and do not look to wait for the water to heat when using; then, we would recommend a 5500 Watt heater for your family.
In the case of a family of just 2, we would recommend the opposite as they would not require much warm water, and a 4500 Watt heater may be fine.
When it is about water heater price, a 4500 Watt heater costs up to $829, a 5500 Watt heater would cost up to $ 1,350. That said, it is crucial to remember your annual operational expense for a 5500 Watt water heater is comparatively more costly.
The 5500 Watt heater utilizes more energy than the 4500 Watt heater. Note that higher Wattage even converts to higher amperage that flows along the electric wire, which means more usage of heat. Heat refers to inefficiency and the risk of a shortened life for electrical appliances.
Thus, to sum it up, selecting the kind of heater depends on the home size, your warm water need, and your budget allocated towards the water heater. For those on the constant hunt or look out for water heaters, the type of water heater to opt for is just one form of concern. The next kind of concern is what Wattage you should opt for.
Both 5500 Watt and 5500 Watt water heaters are electric types of heaters. Numbers indicate the electricity amount each of the appliances uses. Both these electric heaters are connected to the storage tank, which serves as a storage for water that you require.
The significant distinction between the two water heaters is the time it takes to heat the water, which the individual needs to use. It can be a concern as most people who utilize water heaters usually want the water to reach its optimum temperature as quickly as possible.
If you’re going to upgrade the existing water heater at your home, then considering the usage, energy consumption, and price should be the significant factors to consider before deciding on the one for you.
Conclusion
Water heaters at home are sometimes unnoticed. Knowing their importance generally comes when there is a requirement for warm water.
Water heaters are one of the crucial additions to the home. It caters to a way for the individual at home to use warm water on demand. These include four basic kinds of heaters: tank type, tankless, hybrid, and point of use.
Each of such basic kinds has its specific benefits and features. When you consider availing of a water heater, keep in mind your home size, your particular demand for warm water, and lastly, your working budget. Note that water heaters are available in 2 kinds of Wattage, namely – 4500 W and 5500 W.
The water temperature is certainly not impacted by the Wattage of the water heater. Still, the difference completely depends on how long it takes for the water heater storage tank to heat the water once again after the warm water contained is depleted.
