How does a gas water heater work? please explain:?

Question

OK I could actually turn off my water heater and use a camp stove as I live alone, and just don't was but one load a week, don't go out but a couple of times a week because of my illness and am desperately trying to cut costs. So some have said if I turn it to as low as it can go (vacation?) then when I turn it on again it costs more, kind of like turniing your car engine off, it takes more gas to restart it etc. but how does a gas water heater work and why wouldn't it be OK for me to use a camp stove for a month and see how much it saves, I'm either going to cut utility costs or have to do something drastice like ???? move, move in with someone etc. I am sick with M.E. so can't work to make more and many other things. Hope I have explained it well enough so that you can just tell me like: If you shut if off completely in your garage, it will ???/ If you turn it to vacation and then on twice a week it will ???? Save or not or ??? thanks

AND WHY IN THE HECK DO THEY PUT WATER HEATERS OUTSIDE THE WARMED HOUSE EVEN IF THEY CONFINED IT TO AN AREA IT SEEMS SO STUPID TO PUT IT IN A COLD GARAGE UNLESS YOU OWN THE NATURAL GAS CO ????

Answer 1

You could turn it off completely, but you would be taking cold showers....

You could try getting an insulating blanket for it and that would keep your water hotter longer.

You could only turn it on twice a week and that will save becase it won;t comstantly be keeping the water at a hotter temp. Let it heat up, take your shower/bath and then turn it back offf again. That way it will ony be running for max a couple of hours a week.

Answer 2

If your water heater is a standing pilot(pilot on all the time) the pilot alone consumes approx. 1 therm of nat gas every three days or ten therms a month. the gas company charges buy the therm(100,000btus) so look at your bill to see how much you pay per therm. It takes 1000btus to raise one pound of water one degree. a gallon is approx 13lbs. A 30 gallon tank is 390lbs or it takes 3.9 therms to raise the tank one degreeF. this will very depending on the location of your water heater(outside vs. inside)

Answer 3

leave the pilot lite on set on vacation or as low as it goes and see what happens,reason the pilot should stay on is to prevent rust or keep moisture out.