Water Heater Temperature and Insulation

water heater jacket

Insulating your water heater and setting the water temperature at 120 degrees will conserve energy and lower your power bill.

Your water heater maybe the number one power user in your home. If you can save energy at the water heater, you may be able to really lower your power bill.

There are four things that will save you real cash involving your hot water:

1.  Adjust the temperature of the water to 120 degrees.

2.  Wrap your water heater and plumbing pipes in an extra layer of insulation.

3.  Use less hot water by using lower flow faucets and shower head.

4.  Install a higher efficiency water heater.

Temperature Setting

120 degrees is most energy efficient. Between 130 degrees and 140 degrees you are really wasting energy. Over 140 degrees you may run the risk of burning the skin, particularly on children. Remember, the water heater keeps the tank full of water hot all the time. It takes more energy to keep the water at 140 degrees than 120 degrees.

Extra Insulation

Your water heater loses heat and energy through the heaters shell. If you slow the transfer of heat away from the heater you will save energy. Most water heaters already have an inch or two of solid foam insulation between the water tank and the outer shell, but you cna do your power bill a favor by adding a layer of insulation around the outside.

Your building supply store has blankets especially designed for wrapping a water heater. If you have a gas fired water heater, precautions need to be taken around the bottom and top of the heater. Before you wrap a gas water heater up, read all the information attached to the heater and follow manufactures recommendations.

Use Less Hot Water

This is about using low flow shower  heads and faucets and about taking a shorter shower. Your shower head could be an energy wasting 5 gallons a minute outlaw. A new energy saving shower head will come in at 1.5 to 2.0 gallons per minute. Read the package, if it is low flow the package will let you know.

Install Efficient Water Heater

If your water heater is over 10 years old it may be on it’s last leg. When it is time to shop for a new water heater, pay close attention to it’s energy efficiency rating and it’s yellow energy guide sticker.

Most efficient water heater is the newer heat pump heaters. Really cool, they are a water tank and a heat pump. Be sure and talk to a real plumber before installing one of these. A heat pump water heater needs to be located in an appropriate location so as not to have adverse side effects.

This video is one that I recommend and will give you valuable tips on gaining energy savings from your water heater.

If the video will not start for you, try this link –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2nUtRx1Z8E

Thank you for stopping by detectenergy.com, please come back soon, but I won’t leave the light for you…