Which is bigger, refrigerator or water heater?

Refrigerator is 1.8× water heater on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

How do refrigerators and water heaters compare on height?

Refrigerator: 150–185 cm. Water heater: 120–180 cm. Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on height — about 1.2×.

How do refrigerators and water heaters compare on typical lifespan?

Refrigerator: 10–17 yr. Water heater: 8–15 yr. Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.

Refrigerator vs Water heater

Refrigerator vs water heater

Refrigerator is larger on weight

Refrigerator is 1.8× water heater on weight.

A refrigerator and a water heater can be compared on 6 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
	Refrigerator	Water heater
Weight	70–170 kg	40–100 kg
Height	150–185 cm	120–180 cm
Typical lifespan	10–17 yr	8–15 yr
Typical cost	500–3,500 $	500–2,500 $
Power draw	35–90 W	3,000–5,500 W
Volume	340–740 L	110–300 L

What the numbers say

Refrigerator is 1.8× water heater on weight.
Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on height — about 1.2×.
Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.
Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on typical cost — about 1.3×.
Water heater is 82× refrigerator on power draw.
Refrigerator is 2.7× water heater on volume.

Weight compared.

Refrigerator 70–170 kg

Water heater 40–100 kg

Refrigerator

An insulated cabinet that keeps food cold, normally with a separate freezer compartment.

Water heater

A tank or on-demand heat exchanger that supplies hot water to a building.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, refrigerator or water heater?: Refrigerator is 1.8× water heater on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do refrigerators and water heaters compare on height?: Refrigerator: 150–185 cm. Water heater: 120–180 cm. Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on height — about 1.2×.
How do refrigerators and water heaters compare on typical lifespan?: Refrigerator: 10–17 yr. Water heater: 8–15 yr. Refrigerator is somewhat greater than water heater on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.

Sources

Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place
ENERGY STAR Product Specifications — US Environmental Protection Agency (Public domain (US Government))
Residential Energy Consumption Survey — US Energy Information Administration (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked