Add 2nd water heater for a 4+ bedroom STR?

[Matt Smith]

Do you all typically see larger properties adding a 2nd water heater or a tankless for STRs?  I'm just thinking with potentially 6-10 ppl staying there that they are going to run out of hot water pretty quickly when everyone is getting ready for dinner.  This one is in Florida so we have the benefit of warmer weather but I just can't see one 40gallon water heater being enough and am worried about getting a bad review because of this.  

Is it worth it to add a 2nd water heater before listing on AirBNB?  The existing one is a 40gal and only a few years old so it's not really time to replace it.  

[Michael Baum]

Hey @Matt Smith, I would highly recommend a tankless upgrade if you have natural gas. Just make sure you get a big enough unit. The fact you are in Florida with a much higher ground water temperature makes it a no brainer.

When looking at tankless, you want to see the GPM based on the delta of incoming vs outgoing water temp. The ground water temps vary but not by much. 70 degrees is a good average.

Most tankless units at 199k BTU will provide 8+ GPM overall or even more. Just have to check the ratings.