Which is bigger, washing machine or water heater?

Washing machine is somewhat greater than water heater on weight — about 1.3×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

How do washing machines and water heaters compare on height?

Washing machine: 85–112 cm. Water heater: 120–180 cm. Water heater is 1.6× washing machine on height.

How do washing machines and water heaters compare on typical lifespan?

Washing machine: 8–14 yr. Water heater: 8–15 yr. Washing machine and water heater are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

Washing machine vs Water heater

Washing machine vs water heater

Washing machine is larger on weight

Washing machine is somewhat greater than water heater on weight — about 1.3×.

A washing machine 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.
	Washing machine	Water heater
Weight	55–115 kg	40–100 kg
Height	85–112 cm	120–180 cm
Typical lifespan	8–14 yr	8–15 yr
Typical cost	400–1,800 $	500–2,500 $
Power draw	250–2,200 W	3,000–5,500 W
Volume	80–170 L	110–300 L

What the numbers say

Washing machine is somewhat greater than water heater on weight — about 1.3×.
Water heater is 1.6× washing machine on height.
Washing machine and water heater are near enough identical on typical lifespan.
Water heater is somewhat greater than washing machine on typical cost — about 1.2×.
Water heater is 9× washing machine on power draw.
Water heater is somewhat greater than washing machine on volume — about 1.5×.

Weight compared.

Washing machine 55–115 kg

Water heater 40–100 kg

Washing machine

A powered drum that washes clothes, loading either from the top or through a front door.

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, washing machine or water heater?: Washing machine is somewhat greater than water heater on weight — about 1.3×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do washing machines and water heaters compare on height?: Washing machine: 85–112 cm. Water heater: 120–180 cm. Water heater is 1.6× washing machine on height.
How do washing machines and water heaters compare on typical lifespan?: Washing machine: 8–14 yr. Water heater: 8–15 yr. Washing machine and water heater are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

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