Strategies to Heat Water More Efficiently
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, Apr 24, 2012
The Department of Energy has listed some ways that you can decrease the money you spend on heating water. Here are their suggestions:
- Reduce the water temperature on the hot water heater
- Reduce your use of hot water
- Insulate the heater and hot water pipes
- Install heat traps
- Install a heat recovery system
- Use off peak electricity to heat water in an electric water heater
Reduce the Temperature Setting on the Hot Water Heater to 120 Degrees
The easiest way to save money is to reduce the temperature setting on the hot water heater to about 120 degrees. There have been rare cases of legionnaires disease bacteria living at 120 degrees but higher temperatures can cause scalding so be sure to consider these factors. The Department suggests 120 degrees as safe unless you may have a weak immune system or suffer from chronic respiratory disease.
Have Cooler Settings on Your Dishwasher and Clothes Washer
Another way to reduce use of hot water is to have cooler settings on your dishwasher and clothes washer. Pipe insulation and blankets are available for “do it yourselfers” but it is recommended to have an experienced plumbing contractor cover any gas and oil fired water heaters. Our expert Lorain County plumbing contractors are experienced with these insulating jobs and can also check your whole system for leaks and any other potential problems.
Install Heat Traps or a Heat Recovery System
An experienced Lorain County plumbing contractor can also improve efficiency by installing heat traps or a heat recovery system. A heat recovery system takes used heated water from bath drains and sinks and diverts them to coils that surround pipes going in to the water heater to transfer that heat to the water.
Photo Credit: Neff Conner
