Water Heating Tips to Save Energy
Water Heating Tips: Where Your Money Goes
By Chris Dorsi
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, water heating accounts for up to 20 percent of the total utility expense for many U.S. households. You can save energy and money by learning how this energy is used.
Your energy consumption for water heating is divided among three types of use: heating efficiency, standby loss, and hot water consumption. You should apply different conservation measures to reduce each use.
Heating efficiency describes how well your water heater converts electricity or gas into hot water. When you next buy a water heater, study the yellow Energy Guide label that is required on all appliances, and compare the listed Energy Factor (EF) that is used to rate water heaters. Find the highest EF available to identify the most efficient appliances. Better yet, buy an ENERGY STAR rated appliance and you'll get the most efficient appliance of all.
Standby losses include the heat that goes through the walls of your water heater tank even when no one is using hot water. The best defense against standby loss is a heavily-insulated tank. If you buy a tank with a high Energy Factor (above), you're getting the best built-in tank insulation available. If you have an existing water heater that is more than a few years old, the best way to reduce standby loss is by installing an external water heater blanket. If you install a blanket, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid safety hazards.
Hot water consumption is the water you use at appliances and faucets. Every gallon of hot water you use is replaced by a gallon of cold water in your water heater that must be heated. If you reduce your hot water consumption, you'll reduce the amount of electricity or gas your water heaters consumes. You can reduce your hot water consumption by installing low-flow showerheads, for a savings of 5 to 10 gallons per shower. You'll also use less hot water by using the cold-water wash-cycle on your washing machine. Modern soaps do a great job of cleaning clothes without hot water, and you'll save up to 10 gallons of hot water per cycle.
Chris Dorsi is co-author of Residential Energy - Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings. www.srmi.biz