Why You Should Conserve Hot Water in Your Home and Only Use the Highest Temperature Water When Necessary

A lot of homeowners don’t realize the fact that hot water is a luxury. In many areas of the world, there is no such thing as a hot shower, and if hot showers are available, they’re usually very expensive.

Many Americans take hot water for granted and use it as if there is an unlimited supply.

Whether you realize it or not, every drop of hot water comes with a price, and you’re the person who’s paying for it. With the cost of energy always on the rise, you’re always paying more money for hot water.

Regarding how much money we spend on it, hot water is the third most costly energy expense used in a typical home.

The hot water that you use can account for 12 percent of your monthly energy bill. The good news is that there are many ways to reduce your energy bill, save hot water and maintain comfort.

Make Your Water Heater Use Less Energy

An excellent strategy for hot water conservation consists of forcing your water heater to use less energy. If you’re trying to save energy, you should know that hot water uses an enormous amount of energy.

After turning on the faucet and taking a hot shower, most people don’t realize that the hot water must be heated with electricity, so while it seems like they’re only using water, they’re in fact using water and power. Some homes are equipped with a conventional water heater, which uses a large storage tank.

It’s the heater’s duty to continuously heat the water inside of the tank, so when you need hot water, the tank is able to deliver. Unfortunately, the laws of thermodynamics cause the water inside the tank to constantly cool, so your water heater is in a constant battle to keep the water hot.

By constantly detecting the temperature, the heating element can determine when the water has become too cold, and it will activate and warm the water. In some cases, a water heater can account for up to 18 percent of your annual energy costs.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to reduce this amount.

Lowering the Tank’s Thermostat

Every water heater has a thermostat, and you have control over the thermostat. However, you should always let the professionals tinker with your water heater, and we can do this for you. By turning down your water heater’s thermostat, you can save energy.

A reduction of 10 degrees can save you up to 5 percent on your energy bill. Almost all modern water heaters are sold with a preset temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is quite hot, and it significantly increases the risk of scalding. The Energy Department recommends lowering your tank’s temperature to 120 degrees.

This temperature is almost always hot enough for most people, and it can save you plenty of money on your energy bill. A lower temperature also reduces the amount of mineral buildup occurring inside of your tank, which can prevent costly repairs.

If you want us to come to your home and turn down your water heater’s thermostat, the process is quite simple.

First, we have to check the current temperature. Since the thermostat can be inaccurate, we might use a thermometer to check. Next, we’ll turn the thermostat down to 120 degrees. We might need to wait for a couple of hours and check to make sure the temperature is correct. Some water heaters don’t have a numbered gauge.

Sediment Draining

One of the services that we provide to customers is sediment draining. Over time, sediment can accumulate inside of your water heater, which can reduce its energy efficiency.

If your tank has a huge buildup of sediment, saving energy will be nearly impossible. By draining your tank of sediment, we can make your water heater run more efficiently. The process that we use for removing sediment is simple, but it’s not something that the average homeowner should attempt.

Most manufacturers recommend draining your water heater’s tank at least once per year, but it’s not a bad idea to have it drained twice per year. If hot water conservation is important to you, then this is a valuable service to consider.

Insulating Exposed Pipes

There is a chance that your water heater has exposed pipes. If this is true, you could be losing energy and not even know it. Hot water pipes are designed to deliver hot water to the areas of the home where it’s needed.

When the pipes aren’t insulated, heat is lost through the pipes, which means you’ll have to pay money for the electricity needed to keep the water hot. It’s much cheaper to let us insulate your hot water pipes. Once the pipes have been insulated, you won’t lose as much energy, and you can start saving money on your electricity bill.

The Importance of Conserving Hot Water

In most areas of the world, hot water is a luxury. It’s easy for people to think that hot water comes from the local water supply and forget that the water must be heated inside the home.

A great way to conserve hot water is to start using less of it. However, this is usually easier said than done.

Another strategy involves insulating your hot water tank. Many older tanks never came with insulation, so they’re significantly less efficient than newer models.

If you own an older water heater that is placed in an uninsulated part of your home, you could be throwing away an enormous amount of energy.

When proper insulation is added to an older water heater, it can cut heat loss by up to 45 percent. The good news is that we can handle it for you. We offer a number of different services for your water heater, and we can make sure it’s running at maximum energy efficiency.

If you want to save money, it’s important to conserve hot water and only use the highest water temperature when necessary.

For help with your water heater in your Vernon home, call Water Heater Medic at (860) 896-3342.