If the cylinder is the correct size for the usage of the household, it shouldn’t run out of hot water. However, there can be some cases where this can occur. In this blog we are going to discuss how to know if your cylinder is big enough. 

The Two Main Types Of Cylinders

The water within a direct cylinder uses an immersion heater within the cylinder to heat up the water. An indirect water cylinder relies on an external appliance like a boiler to generate the hot water. Sometimes indirect cylinders do have immersion heaters installed as a backup or boost function. 

The Right Size

When choosing a water cylinder, it can be difficult as you need one large enough so that your demands are being met. If you purchase one which is too large this can be a waste as the tank will heat up the water that is not being used and this will waste a lot of energy. A cylinder that is too small will not meet the demands of you home and could leave you having a few colder showers. The capacity of your cylinder will depend on how it is being heated, indirectly or directly. The cylinder capacity will always be measured in litres.

How To Work Out The Correct Size For You

From looking at the numbers of bedrooms, bathrooms and showers you have you will be able to figure out how many litres you need. For every occupant in the house you should allow between 35-50 litres.

• Low consumption- 20-30 litres
• Average consumption- 30-50 litres
• High consumption- 50-70 litres

On average a household would use around 200 litres of hot water a day. A bath uses on average 100 litres of hot water. A shower will vary between 18 and 22 litres.

If you are looking for a new water cylinder, Harvey Heating are on hand to help.