Water Heater savings??

[FarmerChick]

curious and wondering what others do.

I want to cut down that water heater cost. I know you can install a timer. But I don't want to do that now so I looked on the net and a few sites said....just turn it off when not in use. Basically you are the timer.

So when hubby is at work and kid is off to school, I take my morning shower and OFF it goes by the breaker.
Then around dinner time back on it goes.

I could get 8 hrs per day of savings.

(Of course with a timer I could shut off at night and put on before hubby gets up 4:30 am for work, and yes that would be tons more savings. A timer is in the future)

But what I am wondering and 'kinda' heard but not sure, that turning it on and off will cut down on the life of the unit? Is this true or does anyone have any experience I do not want to be replacing elements every week

thanks for any info
Karen

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[Chug And Red]

How old Is your Water heater Where is it located in your House

Powering your waterheater On and Off can reduced the Life of parts ((((especially thermostats))) elements are a Little safer because the Power goes to your thermostats first which provides as safety buffer!!!! and It May Increase the Cost of reheating water especially!!! If In a Cold Basement!!!!

 

[CaptainRobin]

Well, mebbe I'm spoiled. I want hot water anytime I want it... morning, noon, night. The heating elements aren't very expensive, and are easily replaced, but you have to drain the tank first. Also a good time to flush the sediment in the tank which can make the water stink. If you're looking for savings on electrical cost (I assume you have an electric heater) then go with a timer, or keep flipping the circut breaker. One tip.... if the water goes off, turn your heater off at the circuit breaker as soon as you're aware. The heater can gravity drain, and once the heater element is exposed without water to cool it, it WILL burn out.
Robin

 

[spartacus53]

Farmer, actually you end up using more energy than you think you are saving with that method... Once the hot water is shut off and turned on again, the water is cool and you'll burn way more energy reheating it

The good news is that there is another alternative you can consider, but there is a slight to moderate start-up cost...

You will need to buy several 100 yards of clear rubber tubing, then you run the tubes into coils like a radiator cover all of your windows and use solar power to heat the water

I hope this was useful

 

[dances for eels]

A few years back I installed a Rinnai tankless on demand propane unit; got a $750 energy star rebate. It payed for itself in three years and works great. I think you're on the right track to look for a way to avoid re-heating the same water over and over.

 

[FarmerChick]

I am lucky because it is in the laundry room, in a little enclosure, which backs it up against my bedroom closet. so definitely not in a cold place. And I have a blanket insulation wrapped around it.

It is about 6 yrs old. My old one died after 12 years and this is the replacement, kept eating elements and it was a 30 gal, so hubby said screw that and bought this 50 gallon.

no problems with water quality as of now. everything is working great.


It will be interesting. I think I will shut it off tomorrow after showers and then turn on around very late afternoon. And do this as many days as I can for a month.....and then just see the results.
I hope it SHOWS on the bill. Only by experimenting will I find out if it is worth the effort etc.


I am researching tankless and solar and more. Someone I have to cut this elec. usage all back. I just hate paying them..haha... UGH

I do well on conserving. 2100 sq ft home and my highest bill is like Jan/Feb around $140.
(I have a propane fireplace that I kick on and that controls that darn heat cost)---but for some reason I have this craving to stay at the $90-100 mark on elec.

being in the south doesn't hurt either. my winters are usually mild vs northern tough ones


thanks all for the input!!!!!

 

[Chug And Red]

I am lucky because it is in the laundry room, in a little enclosure, which backs it up against my bedroom closet. so definitely not in a cold place. And I have a blanket insulation wrapped around it.

Answered My Questions and the blanket insulation was going to be My recommendation!!! Chug

 

[diggemall]

I always find the discussions around water heaters and the like interesting. There have been many, many studies on these topics, so the real facts aren't all that elusive:

#1 - Insulation - the more the merrier. Preventing heat LOSS means the elements need to kick in less often = savings. Some of the newer high efficiency heaters have 3-4" of closed cell foam for just this reason. Insulate pipes too (especially if they're copper - copper conducts heat away quite efficiently)

#2 - Cut useage. High efficiency shower heads, spray nozzles on faucets, etc. still allow a healthy "blast" while reducing the actual amount of water that is used. Get rid of single-handle faucets - it's almost impossible to turn one on without drawing some hot water even when all you want is cold.

#3 - check valves - do you have reverse flow preventers on the piping to and from your heater ? When all the faucets are off hot water still wants to rise up and out of the tank by convection into any piping above the heater. Hot water out = cold water in = elements have to run more often.

Timers save money two ways: a) because they allow the water to cool below the thermostat setting, and with the reduced internal temperature, there is less heat loss in terms of BTU's. Whatever BTU's are lost have to be made up when the unit is powered back on. On an older, less well-insulated heater the savings might be as much as 35 - 40 KWh / year. If you're paying 20 cents / KWh, that might be as much as $8.00 / year. Not a real big savings. b) If your utility charges different rates for "peak" and "off-peak" useage, and you set the timer to only allow the heater to run during "off-peak" times, your savings will be greater.

This site gives a good handful of ideas for how to save a few bucks on your water heating expenses. http://waterheatertimer.org/9-ways-to-save-with-water-heater.html

If you're "handy", a decent solar water heater can be built for less than the cost of pre-made ones - FREE heat is obviously the cheapest. Just search DIY solar water heater and you'll have more ideas than you know what to do with

Diggem'

 

[FarmerChick]

I know Diggem' it also fascinates me to try to find ways to cut usage cost lol

It is like a game I like to play---beat the water heater!


The solar. Many times I have thought about hooking up a panel just for the water heater.

I have zero experience with this and I have zero electricity knowledge. I don't have a clue. I researched it also. I wish I had that courage to attempt it but I don't.

You know I 'do always' want hot water on hand. I know if I cut it off, then I will need hot water a while later for something and it will tick me off not having it

I will search again on solar. Maybe I will give my handyman neighbor next door a chat about installing something. worth a shot.

thanks alot!

 

[spartacus53]

Farmer, you don't even have to go with the solar panels, there is yet another option none have mentioned... I guess that's why I' around

I go with Reynolds Aluminum Foil, Heavy Duty Don't skimp and go with the cheap stuff either.. All you have to do is also set up mirrors to reflect on the the aluminum, back to the mirror then focus on the tube... Not only the cheapest and most efficient, but it will also look like a work of art from street level

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

There are some cons to going tankless. Tankless water heaters do cost more up-front than conventional heaters. Depending on the model and the circumstances, this cost can be offset with the energy savings mentioned above. Additionally, tankless water heaters may require more frequent cleaning than conventional models. But at most, this cleanup is once a year, and typically consists of nothing more than flushing a vinegar solution through the system to address any scale buildup.

To me, the increased maintenance on the tankless models, is a major concern.

The key to proper tankless water heater maintenance is flushing the entire unit regularly to remove any mineral deposits (usually calcium) that may have built up inside the boilers.

Two to three gallons of white vinegar or another low-grade acid is pumped through the system with a sump pump to clear out these deposits.

Plumbing professionals will usually charge anywhere from $150-200 for this kind of service.

I am sure you could probably do this yourself. See the link, below, for an example of what is involved.

http://www.eztankless.com/support/service-and-maintenance/

 

[calisdad]

How about just turning the temperature down? If you're like me you're mixing it with cold at the faucet anyway.

 

[rockhound]

I started using a tankless water heater about 6 years ago, and would not think of going back to a tank water heater, unless it was totally solar powered. It has saved me about $40 a month on my electric bills, and has paid for itself. If you intall a whole house filter before the water enters the tankless water heater, there is no maintenance whatsoever. I will ost more information in the energy section for those interested. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[FarmerChick]

Spart---if I go that route, could I win an artist prize, say $10K for my killer art. and then I could run tons of elec. and have alot of years covered with that prize money!

have ya seen the price of Reynolds Wrap lately...whew



what is worse--Duke is increasing elec. prices on us. They asked for 18% hike. Commission gave them a 9% elec. increase. Geez...like they did us a favor or something.

 

[FarmerChick]

rockhound I would join in a tankless discussion in energy category definitely. I have tons of questions lol
thank you

 

[FarmerChick]

my temp is lowest recommended....123F
that just kills that bad bacteria (forgot the name) but Mr. Electricity website said don't go lower.

 

[fistfulladirt]

I wrapped all my hot water pipes with foam rubber insulation. I also heat/cool with an open-loop geothermal furnace, my house is all electric, furnace has already paid for itself.