Water Heating System
STRATEGY: Two steps to reducing water heating costs: first, cut your hot water consumption and second, your standby losses from the water heater tank when not in use.
MYTH ABOUT WATER HEATING:
MYTH: Rinsing clothes or dishes in warm water gets them cleaner.
FACT: Rinsing in warm water, even hot water, won't get your clothes or dishes any cleaner.
REDUCING CONSUMPTION:
• Don't run water unnecessarily.
• Repair leaky faucets promptly.
• Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Always use cold water for the garbage disposal.
• Use a cold water laundry detergent and always rinse in cold.
• Install flow restrictors in lavatories and showers or water saving showerheads for showers.
REDUCING STANDBY LOSSES:
• Set the water heater temperature at 110-1 20°F if you don't have a dishwasher or if you have one with a booster heater. A dishwasher usually requires 140°F.
• Drain a bucket of water out of your water heater at least once a year or more often if you have hard water to flush out the sediment that can accumulate.
• Insulate your water heater.
• Insulate the first ten feet of hot and cold water pipes out of the water heater.
• Insulate pipes in unheated spaces.
• Install a vent damper on a gas water heater.
• Set an electric water heater on 1 inch of extruded polystyrene foam insulation. Most electric water heaters have no insulation on the bottom.
• Install a heat trap on both the hot and cold water lines if moving or installing a new water heater.
• Add a booster heater to your dishwasher so you can turn your water heater temperature down.
INSTALLING A NEW WATER HEATER:
• Replace an old water heater with a newer more efficient one.
• Install a passive or active solar water heating system.*
*The items marked with an asterisk (*) are, for the most part, only marginally cost effective and may be done for reasons other than energy savings.
