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Ways to reduce your water heater’s energy consumption
One of the most wasteful energy users in many households is the water heater. Here are five ways to cut that wasted energy use as low as possible.
Lower the Water Heater Set Temperature
A temperature setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit is a proper level for most families. For every 10 degrees you reduce the heaters set temperature you will save as much as 5 percent of your monthly water heating bill. One note about this. You may not be able to trust the thermostat on your water heater. Make sure you measure the water temperature at the farthest possible point from the water heater tank.
Cut Down the Volume of Water Used and Heated
Most homes waste a lot of water because they do not install, and use, flow restricting faucet inserts that also aerate the water. Showers should also all have flow restriction, low flow, showerheads. Use of this water saving idea will cut down the amount of water used, and heated by up to 60 percent.
Increase the Efficiency of Your Water Heater
You should keep your water heater’s interior tank clean of sediment. This sediment builds up as a normal process of operation. Removal of the sediment allows your tank to heat more in a more efficient manner. This is an easy task to perform. Your local home improvement store can give you advice relevant to the model of water heater in your home.
Insulation – Exposed Pipes
Any pipes which carry hot water and exposed to a cold environment need insulation. The use of pipe jacket insulation does this best. Completion of this task raises the temperature of water at the end use point in the home by as much as 4 percent.
Insulation of the Hot Water Heater Itself
Most new modern hot water heaters are already double insulated. If your hot water heater is more than ten years old, wrap the hot water heater in an insulating jacket wrap. This is especially important if your heater is in an unheated space. Just this one action can save you up to 10 percent of your monthly hot water heating bill.
These five steps are all well worth the effort. Tackle them one at a time and watch your hot water heating costs drop a significant amount.
Is the water heater in your San Mateo home in need of maintenance? Call James Caccia Plumbing at (650) 442-1470 and schedule a service call today!