Breakdown of U.S. Water Heater Types
The preference of U.S. households heavily favors tank configurations compared to newer, on-demand alternatives:
Tank Style Water Heaters:~115.5 Million Households
Tankless (On-Demand) Water Heaters: ~8.03 million households. istribution by Tank Size
Among the households configured with storage tanks, capacity needs dictate the choice of unit size:
- Medium Tanks (31 to 49 gallons): 55.37 million households. This is the most common size for standard, single-family dwellings.
- Large Tanks (50 gallons or more): 46.85 million households. These units typically support larger families or houses with high-demand multi-fixture plumbing.
- ● Small Tanks (30 gallons or less): 13.28 million households. These are generally utilized in small apartments or point-of-use layouts.
Primary Fuel Sources
The vast majority of these storage tanks operate on one of two power sources:
- Natural Gas: Over 50% of households utilize gas burners due to faster heating times and lower general utility operational costs.
- Electricity: Primarily relies on internal resistance elements to maintain water temperature. Electric options dominate regions lacking municipal natural gas pipeline grids.