Water Heating and Energy Conservation
by Larry Cummings
04/02/07
- Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a
short period.
- Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to
cover the thermostat.
- Insulate your gas or oil hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not
to cover the water heater’s top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment;
when in doubt, get professional help.
- Install nonaerating low-flow faucets and showerheads.
- Buy a new water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water
heater, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance.
- Although most water heaters last 10 to 15 years, it’s best to start shopping
for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before
your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets
your needs.
- Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from
the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115 degrees F
provides comfortably hot water for most uses.
- Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove the
sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater.
The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the
manufacturer’s advice.
- If you heat with electricity and live in a warm and sunny climate, consider
installing a solar water heater. The solar units are environmentally friendly
and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your
house.
- Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average
household. You use 15 to 25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10
gallons during a 5-minute shower.
- Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home, typically
accounting for about 14% of your utility bill. Shorter showers, more efficient
showerheads and lowering the thermostat on your water heater can help to
decrease this expense.
- Consider the installation of a drain water waste heat recovery system.
Larry Cummings is a staff member of Earth911.com.
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