The water heater is one of the single largest energy-consuming appliances in your home. In fact, in most households the water heater is directly responsible for about 12 percent of the home’s utility costs. With this in mind, finding cost effective ways to improve efficiency and reduce energy usage should be of the utmost importance to you.

Here are some of the most effective strategies to help you achieve energy efficient water heating:

• Check your thermostat. Most new water heating units are set to 140 degrees by default. Lowering this setting to 120 degrees could result in energy savings of up to 10 percent while still also supplying the necessary amount of hot water needed in your home.
• Add insulation. An often forgotten way of reducing water heater energy consumption is to utilize insulation. The costs associated with water heating can be slashed by between 4 and 9 percent with the simple addition of well-placed insulation around your water heater’s storage tank and hot water pipes. Not only is doing so simple and cost effective, the investment of added insulation is usually offset within the first year.
• Install a timer. A timer can add another layer of energy-saving effectiveness to your water heating unit. For most people, hot water usage drops drastically during the night hours when you are typically sleeping. Having a timer set to turn your system off during these hours of low usage will result in significant energy savings.
• Fix leaks. The simplest and typically most cost effective way to reduce the amount of energy used for water heating purposes is to fix any leaky faucets in your home immediately upon discovery.

If you are faced with any questions regarding these tips, contact the licensed professionals at Valley Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We are committed to serving the people of the South Bay, Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas. Give us a call at 408-294-6290 to schedule an appointment or to ask any questions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Valley Heating, Cooling & Electrical services the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas in California.  Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Energy efficiency photo via Shutterstock