What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Water Heater?

If you're looking to purchase a new water heater, knowing the dimensions can be helpful to ensure it fits before you buy one. Would you like to know what the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater are? Well, we have researched this topic and have answers for you.

The dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater will vary depending on the brand. 50-gallon water heaters are typically between 48 and 67 inches tall and between 20 and 23 inches across.

In this article, we will talk more about the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater. We'll also discuss what size water heater you need, how long you can shower with a 50-gallon water heater, and more. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Copper valves, stainless ball valves, detectors of water pressure and plastic pipes of central heating system and water pipes with thermal insulation in the boiler room, What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Water Heater?

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Water Heater?

Technician servicing an hot-water heater. Man check equipment of the boiler-house - thermometer

While all 50-gallon water heaters hold 50 gallons of water, they are not the same size. A few factors can affect the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater.

One factor that affects the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater is the thickness of the water heater's insulation. Inside a water heater, there is a tank made of glass where heated water is stored for use. Over time the hot water can cool significantly.

The glass tank is insulated with several inches of insulation to keep the heat from escaping. Different brands use different materials and thicknesses for their insulation, contributing to the differences in dimensions.

Another thing that affects the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater is its height to diameter ratio. Water heaters with different heights will require different diameters to have the same amount of water in them.

While some companies prefer tall and slender water heaters, other brands opt for slightly shorter and wider water heaters.

Let's look at the dimensions of 50-gallon water heaters from several brands to see which you have a preference for.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon American Standard Water Heater?

A 50-gallon American Standard water heater has a height of 57.75 inches and a diameter of 20.31 inches. American Standard water heaters are reliable and have a lot of value.

This water heater is narrower than most but a bit taller. You should keep its increased height in mind when installing this water heater.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon AO Smith Water Heater?

The dimensions of a 50-gallon AO Smith water heater are a height of 66.75 inches and a diameter of 22 inches. AO Smith water heaters are known for being top of industry water heaters.

This water heater's width will make it easier to fit into your home. Remember that since this water heater is a taller model, it has a narrower diameter of 22 inches. It would be best to remember the narrower diameter when installing your water heater.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Bosch Water Heater?

Bosch water heaters come in many sizes, including tankless water heaters. The Bosch 50-gallon water heater has a height of 48.75 inches and a diameter of 22.25 inches. These water heaters are known for their high-quality German engineering and edgy designs.

The Bosch 50-gallon water heater is one of the shorter 50-gallon tanks, making it one of the widest. This water heater's 22.25-inch wide tank can be tricky to fit into tight areas. Before installing, be sure that you have room for the water heater.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Kenmore Water Heater?

A 50-gallon Kenmore water heater has a height of 58.75 inches and a diameter of 22 inches. This water heater is well known for its energy-saving ignition system that reduces power, saving you money.

This is one of the taller water heaters on the market, making it one of the narrowest. With a diameter of only 22 inches, this water heater will fit in locations that other water heaters can't. Keep in mind the Kenmore water heater's increased height of 58.75 inches to ensure it fits vertically.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Rheem Water Heater?

The dimensions of a 50-gallon Rheem water heater are a height of 48 inches and a diameter of 22.25 inches. This water heater is famous for its highly efficient insulation, reducing heat loss in between uses and saving money.

This water heater is just over 48 inches tall, making it one of the shorter water heaters. Its short diameter will make installation more manageable, but mind the increased width.

What Are The Dimensions Of A 50-Gallon Whirlpool Water Heater?

Whirlpool has many different sizes of water heaters available. The 50-gallon Whirlpool water heater has a height of 49.75 inches and a diameter of 23 inches. This water heater is most known for its impressive flow rate of 20.7 gallons per hour.

The 50-gallon Whirlpool water heater is one of the wider water heaters on the market at 23 inches across.

Its diameter of 23 inches makes it a tight fit in many locations. Be sure to measure your space before installing to ensure your water heater will fit.

Thoughts On The Dimensions Of 50-Gallon Water Heaters

As you can see, the dimensions of a 50-gallon water heater fluctuate depending on the brand. The main tradeoff for water heater dimensions is whether you want a tall and narrow water heater or one that is short and wide.

What Size Water Heater Do I Need?

Residential Water Heater with the panel removed for repairs or adjustments to the thermostat

You will want a water heater that is large enough that there is always enough hot water for your needs, but it shouldn't be so large that most of the hot water is never used. The first thing you need to calculate is how much hot water you use in a day.

The average American uses 17.2 gallons of water when they shower, and people also use around 20 gallons of water when washing dishes by hand. It also takes a 50-gallon water heater a little more than an hour to reheat.

Since some of the water used isn't hot water but comes from the tap, you will need to calculate this too. When you take hot and cold water into account, people use around half as much hot water per minute as total water per minute. You should have at least 10 gallons of hot water per person plus 10 gallons.

So if you need to know what size water heater you need, take the number of people who will use it and multiply it by ten, and then add 10 to get your answer.

So one person needs a 20-gallon water heater, and a family of 4 requires a 50-gallon water heater.

What Temperature Should A 50-Gallon Water Heater Be Set At?

water heater in modern boiler room, close-up view

A 50-gallon water heater should be set between 130 and 140 degrees Farheiniet. If the water is either too hot or too cold it can be dangerous.

You want to ensure your water heater is set lower than 140 degrees Farheiniet because the water can burn people. The highest temperature that is considered safe for water is 120 degrees.

When water flows from your water heater to your faucet, it cools. Water heaters should be set at a temperature that ensures the water never exceeds 120 degrees at the tap. If the water is hotter than 140 degrees Farheiniet in the water heater, it will be above 120 degrees Farheiniet at the faucet.

The hazard with the water in your water heater being under 130 degrees Farheiniet is bacteria. Bacteria can build up in your water heater if it isn't a sufficient temperature, which can potentially make you and your family sick.

Not only can the bacteria make you sick, but infections like staph can also quickly damage large amounts of tissue leading to debilitating skin conditions.

For your safety, a water heater should be set between 130 and 140 degrees Farheiniet.

How Long Can You Shower With A 50-Gallon Water Heater?

shower with flowing water and steam

To find how long you can shower with a 50-gallon water heater, you will have to know how fast your shower head's flow is. Your shower head's flow can vary, but two gallons per minute is a good average.

The other factor that will affect how long you can shower is your hot to cold ratio. If you use a 1 to 1 ratio of hot and cold water, you will use one gallon of hot water per minute, and your shower will last for 50 minutes.

If you have a 55% to 45% hot water to cold water ratio, your shower will only last 47.5 minutes, and if you opt for a 45% to 55% hot water to cold water ratio, your shower will last 52.5 minutes.

As you can see, your shower head's flow rate and your hot to cold water ratio will affect how long you can shower with a 50-gallon water heater.

Final Thoughts

House boiler room interior with modern water heating system

In this article, we learned that water heaters' dimensions are between 48 and 67 inches tall with a diameter between 20 and 23 inches across. We also learned that you could shower for around 50 minutes with a 50-gallon water heater.

Remember, you can always increase the length of your shower by slightly decreasing the hot water to cold water ratio.

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn more, check out some of these other posts:

How Long Does It Take To Fill A Hot Water Heater?

Can A Generator Run A Hot Water Heater?

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One comment

  1. The first water heater is both considerably narrower and considerably shorter than the second one, which seems surprising. Can you please check if there could have been a typo? Is the difference completely due to the second one having much more insulation?

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