A water heater is an essential appliance for your home. It provides the hot water you use for cooking, cleaning and bathing.

Whether you are building a new home, or replacing a water heater that is old or no longer working, one of the first things you will be faced with is determining the right water heater for your situation. Like many things we buy, its easy to fall into the trap of choosing the biggest and best with the assumption that will be the best choice for your home. Unfortunately, if you choose a size that is too large, you will be wasting water, energy and money. If you choose one that is too small, you will find yourself running out of hot water – an uncomfortable situation when you are taking a shower.

There are actually several things to consider to help you select the right water heater for your home.

FHR (First Hour Rating) – This rating tells you how much hot water the heater will give you during a busy hour. You can find this rating on the yellow label on the exterior of the water heater. To figure out your home’s FHR, count the number of bedrooms and add 1. Then, multiply the number by 12. This is your home’s FHR.

EF (Energy Factor) – Consider the EF of a water heater. The higher the EF rating is, the more energy efficient your water heater will be. Determine what your home’s FHR is, find water heaters with that particular FHR rating, and then choose the corresponding water heater with the highest EF rating.

It really is not that difficult to find the right size water heater for your home. As long as you know what your home’s FHR is, you can easily pinpoint the most efficient heater that it capable of meeting the hot water needs of your household. Taking the time to choose the right size heater will ensure that you always have hot water when needed, without being wasteful of energy and money.