a friend recently told us that he turns the water heater in his home off in the late morning, after taking a shower, and turns it back on early morning, about an hour before he showers. does this actually save energy/money? will doing this damage the water heater?
i know people turn water heaters off during extended periods of time (e.g. vacations), but is the day-to-day solution a good one?
2006-06-11 18:14:34 · 24 answers · asked by cardinalrules 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
This isn't a good solution. Yes, it will save you money on electric or gas costs, but it is much harder on the water heater and will cause it to wear out much quicker.
If you want to save energy, wrap insulation around your water pipes to help conserve the heat in the water lines. Also, there is a new type of water heater that has been developed called a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters save energy because unlike your traditional water heater, they have no tank. They basically heat the water on demand. So they heat it as you use it. If you're that concerned about saving energy, consider buying a tankless water heater.
2006-06-12 01:41:35 · answer #1 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Save Energy Heater
2016-12-18 08:18:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This will save you money in the short term probably not enough to be worth the trouble. You might consider getting a smaller water heater if you're the only person in the household or turn the temperature down on the water heater so it doesn't have to maintain such a high heat. You can also get on-demand water heaters but they are not quite to the point of cost justifying unless you go through more than 80 gallons of hot water per day. Look elsewhere for energy savings by replacing a light with energy efficient bulbs or keeping the air conditioner off during the summer.
2006-06-25 07:54:03 · answer #3 · answered by edmonrj 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most of these folks, although probably well meaning, just haven't got a clue. I've had a timer on my electric water heater for over 15 years, (same unit, no problems), that turns it off at 7:00 AM and turns it back on at 9:00 PM. Those are the times my electiric rates change each day. I get super cheap electric at night time and it gets some more expensive during the daytime, so I heat my water when the elec. is cheap. Unless we take a couple showers after 7:00 AM, there's still enough hot water at 7:00 PM to make you move your hand out of the way. As long as the elements stay immersed in water and aren't eaten away by a high calcium, (lime), content in your water the unit should last a long time.
2006-06-18 15:15:20 · answer #4 · answered by Corky R 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Listen to the advice given by Corky R...it is correct. Turning water off and on in an older or non-insulated water heater though is not going to do the trick. He probably is a home owner and put his own water heater in! If you are renting, you probably haven't done this nor will you. Cheapest solution is to turn the water heater down before you leave for work, turn it back on when you get home or right before you take a shower to get into bed, and by all means, even if you don't own the apartment, home, whatever you are living in, get an insulated wrap for it. They are usually available at your local hardware supply store such as Ace or Home Depot, or Orchard Supply Hardware, etc. That way, when you turn the water off in the morning, it will keep the water hot all day long...at least until you get home. This is also way more energy efficient than doing nothing.
2006-06-25 11:41:31 · answer #5 · answered by deborahlynch007 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NOPE!
If the heater is turned on within an hour it's a waste anyway. The water in a good heater stays warm for no less than 2 days.
To reheat cold water to the settings on the heater, will always use more energy.
Doing it day to day is useless, and stressful on the mechanics of the heater.
Rev. Steven
2006-06-12 02:05:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No it is not a good idea. That is too much stress on your water heater not to mention the time it takes to heat all that water again for use.
I do something else that saves me lots more money than that. My water is only hot enough to shower with when it is on without using cold water. I understand this saves on the pipes and it definitely has saved on my bill. Little irritating for the dishes but I have a little hot water thing that I pump up the dish water with. If you had a heating dishwasher you wouldn't even have to worry about that.
2006-06-25 04:25:59 · answer #7 · answered by sweetpea 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it can save you money. The water in the water heater cools down just like anything else does. When it falls below a certain tempertaure (just like your heater/AC) it will come on and heat it back up to the temperature you have it set to. Some electric companies actually give you a discount during the summer to install a box on it that keeps it from running so much.
2006-06-11 21:34:19 · answer #8 · answered by Stepheyne 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just set your water heater to a lower temp. Turning it on and off you actually use more electricity.
Stop and think about it the water has to heat up all over again. That is common sense.
2006-06-17 19:14:43 · answer #9 · answered by kkpooh4545 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it isnt going to save you enough money to worry about. what happens when you dont turn your water heater on soon enough. it takes a while to heat up 40 gallons of water. what about washing your hands or dishes do you just use cold water. it is not practical to do this. i can understand if you are going away for a couple of weeks, but if you do this all the time you are going to probably screw up your hot water heater.
2006-06-11 22:39:58 · answer #10 · answered by deathdealer 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋