A water heater should cover the hot water your household actually uses, especially during busy periods. The right choice depends on more than the number of people in the home or the litres printed on a tank.
Start with your busiest hour
Think about when showers, laundry, and dishwashing overlap. A household with several consecutive morning showers has a different demand from one that spreads those uses across the day. Note any unusually large tub or other fixture that draws a lot of hot water.
For a storage tank, ask about its first-hour rating: the amount of hot water it can supply during a busy first hour, including the water it reheats. Natural Resources Canada explains why tank capacity alone does not tell the whole story. For a tankless system, the questions shift to flow rate, incoming water temperature, and how many fixtures may run at once.
Check the installation, too
The replacement must suit the available space, power or fuel supply, venting, and existing plumbing. A larger unit is not automatically better. It may cost more to purchase and operate, while a unit that is too small can leave you short of hot water.
If you know the make and model of your current heater, photograph the rating label and note when the hot water runs out. That gives the team a useful starting point for discussing options.
Get a recommendation for your home
Our water-heater team can compare standard and tankless options after reviewing your usage and installation. If your current heater has started leaking or producing little hot water, describe those symptoms when you call so the next step can be planned accordingly.