How to Maximize Water Heater Efficiency

People say time is money, but considering how many years it takes for oil, natural gas, coal, and other conventional sources to develop in the earth, energy is much more valuable than time. As we are becoming more conscientious about energy usage in the face of quickly depleting conventional energy sources, it’s important to look at both the big picture and the little details. You might not be ready to make your home fully solar-powered or buy an electric car, but there are things you can do to become more energy efficient and cut back on energy costs. One good place to start is with the water heater. Whether your home uses a gas or electric water heater, you are paying for those resources each month, so be sure to take advantage of the many ways you can save energy and money.

Tankless Water Heaters

Most water heaters have a tank, but tankless or demand water heaters are quite a bit more efficient. Rather than keeping an entire tank of water hot all day, regardless of whether you need it or not, a tankless system only heats water as needed. This means that for the majority of the day, the water heater is using little to no energy at all. Unfortunately, tankless units have downsides as well. The biggest downside is that the heater can’t provide enough hot water for multiple uses at once. According to the Department of Energy, households that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily will realize the greatest efficiency.

Timer

If you don’t want to replace your tank water heater, you might consider installing a timer to conserve energy. A timer is a small device that you can set to only provide power to your water heater during certain parts of the day. If you don’t want to waste energy keeping several gallons of hot water warm during the middle of the night, the timer can be adjusted to prevent that. This device is inexpensive and easy to install.

Hybrid Water Heaters

Hybrid water heaters are a combination of tank and tankless systems, and offer the best of both worlds. These hybrid systems have a tank, but it is much smaller than regular system tanks and usually only holds a few gallons. In a low-flow situation, the water heater acts like a regular tank system, but when high-flow is needed for multiple applications it heats water as needed, like a demand system.

Reap the Rewards

Whether you choose to call a plumber at Roto-Rooter to replace your old, energy guzzling water heater, or you simply install an energy-saving timer, you will be reaping the rewards for years to come. Not only will your energy bills shrink, but you can pat yourself on the back for living a more sustainable lifestyle.