Looking for some advice, as I’m about to sell my house and I want to keep the buyer’s home inspector happy.
I have a 50-gal serving 2.5 bathrooms (incl master) and a 65-gal serving 3.5 bathrooms (and kitchen) (big house). The 65 has failed and I’m replacing it. I’ve now discovered that I’m a NAECA victim - it’s an attic install, nobody makes 65 gal tanks anymore (apparently), and no 75 gal tanks are installable in attics with a normal 26" attic opening, courtesy of the federal government (sigh). That side of the house originally had a 75 installed during construction.
If I install a state-of-the-art high-efficiency 50-gal tank with a high first-hour recovery (93 gal), will that pass muster with a home inspector, or are there guidelines or code requirement dictating that 3.5 bathrooms (3 showers) needs higher tank capacity, regardless of FHR? My fallback is to convert that side of the house to tandem 40’s at egregious cost (cutting roof, new vents, pans, drain line code changes, on and on…)
An inspector operating by the InterNACHI Standards of Practice is not required to measure the capacity of the water heater: Home Inspection Standards of Practice - InterNACHI®
Scroll down to PLUMBING, IV, B.
Hard to say what an inspector might report.
I’d probably just put in whatever I would put in if I was going to keep living there. But, that is just me.
I know people who removed their tank less water heaters, low recovery rate. They say is was a big waste of $…
They are a European space saver. Nothing more.
I’m a fan of tankless water heaters myself, not only as a space saver, but also not having to wait for the water to heat up, which reduces water consumption.
For 3.5 bathrooms homes 50 or even 40 gallon storage WH is what I usually find. Recovery may not be an issue depending on how many and who is occupying the house eg if occupants schedule’s spaces showers an hour or more apart, or there are no teenage boys etc. etc…