Cutting Your Energy Bill Through Heating Water
There are many ways in which you can cut expenses and save money on energy usage
. One of the ways in which you can save money on energy usage is on how much you heat water.
The average American household uses a lot of heated water every day and it takes a lot of energy to heat water. In general, water heating is the third largest energy expense in a typical home.
Studies have found that it usually accounts for around 12 percent of the energy bill. There are many things that you can do to cut your water heating bill.
One of the simplest things you can do to save energy is to look for the Energy Star label when you are purchasing a new water heater. The Energy Star label is trusted to only appear on electronics that are energy efficient.
You can also use less hot water, turn down the temperature to which your water is supposed to be heated, and insulate your water heater so it uses heat more efficiently. In order to use less water, you may want to consider installing aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.
Often faucets are left running when they are not being used. By purchasing faucets and showerheads that run less water at a time, you will be able to save the hot water that you have.
It is also important that you replace or fix leaky faucets or pipes immediately. Leaky faucets and pipes will waste a lot of hot water very quickly.
Even if it is a slow leak, you will waste a lot of water if it is left unrepaired. You may be surprised to learn that a leaky faucet can waste up to thousands of gallons of water, which can become quite expensive.
Most of the time water heaters come set to the highest temperature possible for hot water. Even though this is the factory setting, you do not necessarily need to leave the temperature set so high.
Water that is extremely hot is not very nice to use. You can save energy by not heating it to so high of a temperature.
If try to insulate your hot water tank, be careful not to cover the thermostat so you can adjust it any time you desire. In addition, it is also a good idea to follow the manufacturer's instructions on insulating your water tank.
You should also avoid covering the top, bottom, and burner compartment if your water tank is run through natural gas or oil. Be sure to ask questions if you question whether or not something is safe.
It can also help to insulate the first six feet of the hot and cold water pipes coming out of the water heater. In addition, be sure to purchase Energy Star efficient appliances when you are buying a new dishwasher or clothes washer.
The Energy Star label indicates that these appliances will not only use energy more efficiently, but hot water. It is also a good maintenance tip to drain a quart of water from the water tank every three months.
Over time, sediment builds up in the bottom of the tank that hinders the transfer of heat to the water. By removing it every three months, you will be able to increase the efficiency of your water heater.
The handbook for your water heater should have instructions on how to do this. It will also help your water heater last for the typical ten to fifteen year lifetime.
However, you can probably find a much more efficient one if yours is over seven years old. Be sure to do some research to find out which water heater is the best and most efficient.
There are also probably many ways that you can cut your hot water usage. A typical American household uses 32 gallons of water per load of laundry, 20 per shower, 20 per bath, 12 per dishwasher load, 5 per meal, and 4 per hand dishwashing load.
If you add this up, it is a lot of water per day. You may also be able to save energy by installing natural gas on-demand or tankless water heaters.
Of course, solar powered water heaters are also much more energy efficient. In addition, you may even be able to get tax deductions for installing solar panels.
There are many ways in which you can save money through checking your water usage and energy usage. Consider implementing some of these tips and cutting your energy bill.
by: Terry Daniels
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