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Water Heater Tips To Save Money And Energy

Water Heater Tips To Save Money And Energy

Many homeowners are unaware that their home’s water heater accounts for about 18% of their energy cost. And if you have a large family, that number can jump to 25% or more. So finding ways to use your hot water more efficiently is can be very helpful. And rest assured, none of these tips will involve a timer that limits each member of your family to only three minutes of hot water a day for showering.

Lower The Thermostat

Most water heaters come from the factory with the thermostat preset to 140 degrees. But that temperature can actually result in accidental scalding if there are small children or elderly loved ones in your home. Their skin is more delicate and can be burned by hot water at 140 degrees. For safety and savings, reduce the temperature on your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. This setting will decrease the potential for an accidental burn, drop your energy bills, and even slow the accumulation of minerals in your home’s water pipes.

Insulate The Holding Tank

If you live in a colder region, insulating your water heater’s holding tank can save you a lot of money. Your water heater continuously monitors and reheats the water in the holding tank to maintain a steady temperature. By insulating the tank, you will lose less heat and spend less to operate your water heater. But be sure to follow your water heater manufacturers approved process for insulating the tank to avoid any danger of a fire or other incident. If you are not sure how to wrap your water heater, call (706) 303-0987, and a Drain Surgeon professional will do the job for you.

Repair Leaking Faucets

A leaking faucet might not seem like anything that is very important or costly. After all, the water is only a small drip, and it is going down the drain, so there is no real danger. But what if that water leak is hot water? You are paying to heat it before it drips away down the drain. Most faucet leaks are due to a faulty washer that can be very affordably replaced.

Drain Your Water Heater

Traditional water heaters should be drained and flushed once each year. Think of it as one more task to add to your spring cleaning chores. You are cleaning the inside of your water heaters holding tank to remove all of the minerals and sediment that is accumulating inside it. These materials settle to the bottom of the tank and serve as insulation around the heating element. This sediment makes your water heater work harder and longer to heat your hot water.

Simply turn off the power to your water heater and the water supply line. Then attach a hose to the drain valve and run it to a drain or outside your home if the tank is in your garage. Next, open the drain valve to allow all the water and sediment to flow out via the hose. When the tank is empty, slowly turn the water supply back on and allow it to flush the inside of the tank. When the water coming out of the hose is clear, you can close the drain valve and allow the water heater tank to refill. Disconnect the hose and then turn the power back on to the water heater so that it will begin to warm the fresh water in the holding tank.

Install A Timer

A traditional water heater is always working to keep the holding tank water hot. Even late at night or when you are on vacation, there is a tank of hot water waiting for someone to use it. And as you can imagine, this process uses quite a bit of energy, which is basically wasted. To eliminate this waste, install a timer that turns your water heater off at night or for the hours that no one is home, such as when you are at work or on vacation. Call (706) 303-0987 to speak to a Drain Surgeon licensed plumber about installing a water heater timer to help you save money and energy.

Most homeowners never consider that their water heater is a significant consumer of energy in their home. We only think about the hour or so a day that we are using hot water to bathe or wash dishes. But when you realize that your water heater is working 24/7 to maintain a tank of hot water, you see that there are many simple ways to reduce the waste of hot water, energy, and money. Don’t let this appliance continue to waste your hard-earned money. The team from Drain Surgeon is here to help you save money, energy, and water, a win for you and the planet.