Can I install a timer on my hot water heater?

Question

I'm trying to save money on the heating bill and wondering if it makes any sense to install a timer on my hot water heater so that it's not constantly heating itself during the day/night when I don't use it. Or will this just end up costing me more money because when the heater does kick in, it will have to reheat all that water from cold rather than just consistently heating it all day.

Answer 1

It partially depends on where the heater is. If the heater is in an area that is generally heated anyway, then this won't really save you much money because any heat that is lost by water heater is lost to an area that you are paying to heat anyway. If the heater is in a garage or somwhere else that is not connected to your heated living space, this could conceivably save you some money. However you might have better luck by simply getting some insulation to wrap around the heater so that it doesn't lose heat.

Some other energy saving tips for winter are:

1. Turn lights off when you can (obvious)
2. During the winter only use cold water when washing your hands, otherwise, you using warm water to heat the length of the pipe before you even get hot water.
3. Install a water restricter to cut down on the amount of hot water you use
4 When you leave your house during the day, shut off the heat in unused rooms and close the doors to those rooms.

Answer 2

I have an electric water heater that has a timer attached, so yes, you can install one. However, we are a family of 5 and we have disconnected the timer, because we consistently had no hot water when we needed it (like in the morning when 5 people need to shower). The best bet, as someone stated, is to get the tankless heater, that is propane driven. I don't know where you live, but in the US, there is a tax deduction for this because it is energy efficient. And it heats the water as it comes in for you to use, so 1. you never run out of hot water and 2. you're not wasting energy heating a tank of hot water you are not using. You will drop a fair amount of money up front (like $1500 for the propane, etc.) but you will save in the long run. I wouldn't make the investment if you plan on moving anytime soon, because the new owner will benefit from your investment. Good luck!

Answer 3

Lona, I'm a bit confused, a "timer" for a hot water heater ? I assume that your talking about an electric WHOLE HOUSE, water heater, right ? What is it that you want it to do ? Heat for only a certain time during day ?, and shut off at night ? Check the thermostat, and turn it down if it's too hot, or at night, turn the heater off at the main panel. Don't forget to turn it back on during the day, or when it's bath time. You can install a 'stat with a lower setting, OR an in-line electrical timer (NOT A PLASTIC TIMER FOR XMAS LIGHTS), however, BOTH involves an electrician and a plumber that know what they're doing.

Answer 4

Yes, if it's electric...but the cost of the timer might take awhile to recover. I've never seen a gas timer.

It doesn't take more energy to heat it "from cold" than it does to keep it hot. One other poster mentioned that it depends on where it's located...if the heat loss is useful, it's electric heat. Do you want electric heat?

The rate of heat transfer across a given barrier (such as the insulation in your tank) is proportional to the difference in temperature between the water inside and the air temperature outside. The greater the difference, the faster the rate of transfer. (heat loss)

This means it loses heat fastest the hotter it is, and if it's trying to always keep it at the maximum temp, it's keeping it at the point of the greatest rate of loss.

But that said: How much will you save? Depends on how much water you use, how well insulated the tank is and how long you can leave it off.
A rough estimate...if you use 40 gallons per day, and can shut the heater off for 18 hours out of 24, you will save about 15KW per month. This makes some assumptions about the insulation, and the set point of the heater...so don't hold me to it, ok?

Answer 5

If you have a gas water heater, then go for the tankless type. I helped my son install one and the energy savings are terrific. They cost considerably more up front, but you definitely save on energy. You can also get one with a remote to set the high temp for the water when it heats. He's never been at a loss for hot water with it, and that's showering and running the washing machine at the same time.
The electrical type is more of a hassle. The ones I saw took something like three 220 volt feeds.
Good luck.

Answer 6

It will cost more money to shut your hot water heater down . Listen- pick a temp that you are comfortable with as far as taking a shower. Once your hot water heater is initialy heated up, if you do not use it at all during the day, it will not be running that much at all. Here is an idea. go to home depot and buy a hot water heater insulation kit. put it on and this will keep your hot water from loosing any heat.

Answer 7

It would cost more in the long run because the water would cool down and require more energy rapidly to heat it up rather than small amounts sustained under average use. If you're looking for an efficient water heater install a tankless unit. Bosch makes the best (I think) and the one I installed in my inlaw's house in Russia is more than sufficient for their (5 people total) needs.

Answer 8

Yes you can install a timer and yes it does make sense. My hot water heater is set up to run only in off peak hours. Contact your local public utility and ask them what their off peak hours are. Mine is actually set up by my electric provider to run twice a day during off peak hours. And I only get charged half the KW rate because of this. You just need to remember not to run out your hot water during showers and laundry and need plan accordingly.

Answer 9

If it's electric, yes. If it's gas, I've never seen one. However, as someone else just said, your best bet is going with a tankless water heater. It only heats the water as demand requires it. With today's energy prices, you'll quickly offset the higher price of the unit in the savings on the energy.

Answer 10

If you're not using it, and it's decently insulated, it shouldn't be constantly reheating itself.

Make sure it's decently insulated. Your electric or oil company may have a program to check it for you and/or even maybe insulate it for free.

If you are using it, you'll just run out of hot water.

Some electric companies do run programs where they will install an "off-peak" controller that lets it run at off-peak times and/or shut it off during busy demand times. Call your electric company - most all of them have some kind of program or at least information about this.