Save Money With Your
Water Heater!
There's nothing like a hot shower to wash away the worries of the
day. And despite the proliferation of low-temperature detergents,
hot or warm water really does clean clothes better!
But you can have too much of a good thing. That storage tank in your
basement... the good old water heater... can be a real energy
glutton. Lowering the temperature even a little can bring you big
energy savings... from 3% to 5% for every 10 degrees!
Each type of water heater has a different adjustment method. The
descriptions below will apply to most heaters. If your water heater
is significantly different from the ones depicted here, we suggest
you obtain a manual from the manufacturer.
First things first... test
your water temperature
You don't need a special thermometer for this... a cooking
thermometer will work just fine! The gauge on the one shown at left
starts at 130 degrees.
No brain surgery here... put the thermometer in a deep glass (keep
the gauge dry) and fill it with hot water direct from the tap. Be
sure to run the water till it is fully hot.
How hot should your hot water be?
A temperature of 120 degrees at the tap is adequate for most
household chores with a minimal danger of scalding and maximal
energy efficiency. However, that is the temperature at the tap, not
in the tank. Tank temperature should be no less than 130 degrees to
prevent bacterial growth, such as Legionnaires disease.
The only appliance that requires a hotter water is the dishwasher,
with a recommended temperature of 140 degrees or higher for proper
disinfection and cleaning. Since most dishwashers pre-heat the water
to the proper temperature, lowering the setting of your water heater
will have no effect. However, if you have turned the pre-heating
function of your dishwasher off, you should turn it back on!
Lowering the temperature too much can have unintended consequences.
You will need to use more heated water to obtain the same
temperature at the faucet or shower. Thus, if your tank currently
gives your family three showers in the morning, you might find the
last person screaming!!
If you are interested in more, please
check out our
Clearview Service Agreement,
and you won't have to worry about at thing. |
