5 Ways to Improve Water Heater Efficiency
Your water heater uses power and costs you money. Plain and simple, you want your water heater to work less without losing performance and save you more money. Who wouldn’t?
There are a few things you can do on your end to save money on water heater operating costs, most of the time.
Sometimes it comes down to needing water heater repair in Knoxville, but before it gets to that point, there are ways you can improve efficiency. You should especially implement these tips immediately following a repair so that you can get the most out of your water heater at its peak efficiency.
Insulate the Area
Did you know that the air temperature in the room where your water heater is located can impact its performance? If your water heater is located in the basement, a thermal gun can determine where air leaks occur and then be sealed.
Find any way you can to insulate the room where the water heater is located. While there’s a good layer of insulation between the interior water tank and the exterior shell, it’s not perfect. Your room temperature has an impact on your water heater operation.
Next, Insulate Those Pipes
So you’ve made sure your water heater is in an insulated room with decent air temperature. That’s good, but now you need to insulate your pipes.
Well-insulated pipes help you optimize your water heater because you don’t need to run water nearly as long. Cold pipes will cool the water before it reaches you, so you’ll spend time purging the cold water from your faucet, causing you to run it longer.
That and it’s actually cooling the water that you just paid to heat, but insulation will prevent your pipes from getting that cold in the first place.
Wrap Your Water Heater
You can get a water heater insulation blanket for the exterior of your unit. These are just another way to add insulation if you feel that heat loss is still the main culprit of your water heater’s inefficiency.
Reduce Your Default Temperature
Water needs to be at least 120 degrees to prevent bacterial growth, but most water heaters are set to 130 degrees. Reduce the default temperature to a point where you’re happy with your water temperature that is still 120 degrees or higher, and you can save money.
Be More Conscious of Water Usage
Most of us just turn the hot water handle on and don’t think about dollar signs until the utility bill arrives. It’s difficult to remember that you’re spending money every time you turn your hot water on, but it’s necessary. Post reminders near your faucets and be more conscious of hot water usage.
Repair Your Water Heater First
You can’t utilize all of these water heater efficiency tips until you’ve had repairs or maintenance. As long as you clear out sediment buildup and your heating element hasn’t rusted, you should be able to use these tips to full effect. Maintain, repair, and optimize, and you’ll never have to worry about spending too much on water heater bills again.
Contact Fannon & Sons Heating Cooling for water heater repairs and give yourself the chance to use these efficiency tips. Welcome to the Family!
