How Can I Calculate Hot Water Usage in My Home?

In summary, the conversation discusses the topic of hot water usage in a home. The speaker asks how much hot water they use when taking a shower and how much cold water they use. They then propose the idea of replacing the hot water used in a shower with an equal volume of cold water in a tank and question what the resulting temperature in the tank would be. The speaker also mentions their interest in developing a program to calculate hot water usage and the necessary solar collectors for heating the tank.
  • #1
MrDieselT
12
2
Ok so my question is about hot water in a home
Lets say that I take a shower a shower and i use 20 gallons of water at 105* F
If the hot water in my tank is at 140*F
and my cold water comes in at 50*F

how much of hot (140*F) water did i use?
How much cold (50*F) Water did i use?

Now this might be on the same formula but

lets take the volume of 140*F hot water that I used in my shower out of the hot water tank and replace it with the same volume of 50*F Cold water to refill the tank, what will the temperature in the tank be now if its a 80 Gal Tank? (don't worry about the burner bring it up to temp)
 
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  • #2
This is a HW type problems and so will be moved from here.
 
  • #3
I thought it was a thermo problem. Its not a HW type problem if that what your thinking, I own a company that sells solar products (PV & Thermal) and of all the pros and books out there i can't find much on this topic.

I wanted to develop a program that would be able to calculate how much hot water a house uses based on the number of showers, people and other items in a house that use hot water. by finding what the temperature in the tank falls to I can then calculate the BTU's and thus collectors needed to bring the thank back up to temperature.
 
Last edited:

1. What is the boiling point of water?

The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit at standard atmospheric pressure.

2. How does water cool down?

Water cools down through the process of heat transfer, where heat energy is transferred from the water to its surroundings. This can occur through conduction, convection, or radiation.

3. Why does water take longer to heat up than to cool down?

Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it requires a lot of energy to increase its temperature. This is why it takes longer for water to heat up compared to other substances. However, once heated, water also has a high rate of heat loss, making it cool down faster.

4. How does the heating and cooling of water affect its density?

As water is heated, its density decreases, causing it to expand. This is why ice floats in liquid water. Conversely, as water cools down, its density increases, causing it to contract.

5. Can water be heated above its boiling point?

Yes, water can be heated above its boiling point. This is known as superheating and occurs when the water is in a very clean container with no impurities that can act as nucleation points for boiling. Superheated water can be dangerous as it can suddenly boil and cause explosions when disturbed.

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