Six years ago, when I purchased my current home, I quickly realized that I had purchased the world's most energy inefficient home! Okay; so I'm exaggerating a bit... Well, I've been slowly but surely making my home more energy efficient as time passes. One tip that I can share from experience is in regards to your hot water heater. The water heater (especially if over 5 years old like mine) is the second largest energy consumer in the home and using it efficiently can reduce energy consumption and save you money in the process. If you're not in the market for a very efficient tankless water heater, there are a few quick tips to save energy on your current water heater.
-If you leaving your home for two or more days, you can lower the temperature of your water heater or even switch it off until you return.
-If you only use your hot water once or twice a day, consider installing a timer on your hot water heater and set it up to run two hours in the morning and the evening.
-The hot water heater setting can safely be lowered to 130-140 degrees
-Newer hot water heaters are more energy efficient than older models, so if yours is over 5 years old (like mine), wrap a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and secure it with duct tape. Or... run over to your local hardware store and pick up a ready-made insulation kit. That's what I did, and I've noticed a significant drop in my heating bill. Also, insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as the hot water is flowing to your faucets.
If you have any other tips in regards to hot water heaters, please feel free to chime in! Until next time; stay GREEN!
Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
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