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A home water heater provides near-instant hot water hot for showers and sinks – but this luxury did not always exist. In this post we will review the most important water heater facts and statistics so you will know exactly how to care for your electric, gas or tankless heater.

20 Stats and Facts about Water Heaters

• About 17% of the energy used in your home goes toward heating your water. (Energy.gov)
• To conserve hot water, you can fix leaks, install low-flow fixtures, and purchase an energy-efficient dishwasher and clothes washer. (Energy.gov)
• In 1889 Edwin Ruud invented the first automatic water heater in Philadelphia (Rudd.com)
• The average person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day. (Usgs.gov)
• A leak of one drip per second wastes 1,661 gallons of water and can cost up to $35 per year. (Energy.gov)
• For maximum water efficiency, select a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (Energy.gov)
• “1.0 gpm”, means that a faucet head will allow water to flow at a maximum of 1.0 gallons per minute (Usgs.gov)
• The largest use of household water is to flush the toilet. (Usgs.gov)
• For every 10ºF reduction in temperature on your water heater, you can save roughly 3%–5% on your water heating costs. (Energy.gov)
• A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month (Energy.com)
• 60 drips per minute wastes about 8.64 gallons per day, which is 259 gallons per month, and about 3,153 gallons per year. (Energy.gov)
• Showerheads and faucets that pre-date 1992 can use more than twice as much water as new ones. (Energy.gov)
• You could save $15–$30 on your water heating bill simply by having heat traps installed on your water heater tank. (Energy.gov)
• Low-flow fixtures can give you 25%–60% in water savings. (Energy.gov)
• If it takes less than 20 seconds for your current shower head to fill a gallon, then you could benefit from a low-flow showerhead. (Energy.gov)
• For the best water efficiency, look for a showerhead that has a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm. (Energy.gov)
• Before water heaters, water was heated over a stove or fire, then transported by hand to bathtubs where it was carefully poured in until the bath was a comfortable temperature. (Waterheaterhub.com)
• During WWII, the water heater industry re-purposed their factories to aid in the war effort or began producing boilers for use in naval vessels. (Waterheaterhub.com)
• Tankless water heaters don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with storage water heaters but provide hot water only as it is needed. (Energy.gov)
• Gas-fired tankless water heaters produce higher flow rates than electric ones. (Energy.gov)