The amount of money that water heating consumes in your energy budget can total nearly a quarter of those costs for the average homeowner. With such a significant amount of your energy dollars going toward heating water, it can pay to make adjustments to increase the energy efficiency of your water heater.
Insulation
High-efficiency water heaters have insulation that is highly effective, helping the tank reduce standby losses when the system keeps water warmed and ready for use. If your water heater doesn’t have insulation or it has a low R-value insulation, you can increase its insulation through a water-heater jacket or blanket, for instance, to get better energy savings. In fact, according to Energy Savers, it’s possible for homeowners to increase savings by up to 10 percent when insulation is added to a water heater tank, because it effectively slashes standby losses by anywhere from 25-45 percent. That adds up to a lot of energy dollars back in your bank account.
Replacements
Even if your current water heater is not that old, you could benefit from upgrading to a new system. High-efficiency conventional storage tank systems get good results from high-tech efficiency features. Upgrading to a tankless system could also produce big energy savings, as these systems bypass a storage tank altogether and heat on demand.
Maintenance
One of the best things homeowners can do to guarantee efficient operation from a water heater is to maintain it. Annual maintenance should include measures to reduce buildup, ensure proper pressure and prevent corrosion. Homeowners can take measures to drain their water heater twice a year, but a qualified professional should inspect it every year or two to ensure that buildup is flushed out of the system, and to inspect the system for proper fuel consumption, safety and possible corrosion.
It’s possible to increase energy savings from hot water use by adding to insulation, upgrading systems and maintaining current systems. For help with your water heater, contact the experts at Arpi’s Industries. Our qualified plumbing professionals can help you assess your hot water heater and make recommendations for increased energy savings.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about draining water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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