We had almost the same situation at our family cabin last year — middle of January, everyone freezing, and the water heater took so long to warm up that we ended up heating water on the stove just to wash up. Total nightmare. When we got back home, I promised myself I’d fix it before the next winter. While comparing different options, I stumbled across this article: hot water heater . It actually helped me understand the installation side better, which made picking a powerful but efficient unit way easier. If you’re upgrading for a cabin, it’s definitely worth reading first.