Best 5 Ways to Improve Water Heater Efficiency

One of the appliances in our modern homes with the highest energy consumption is the water heater. Do you want to learn how to improve water heater efficiency? If so, then read on. When you improve water heater efficiency, you can cut back on your heating costs.

There are several easy methods and modest investments you can make to reduce energy expenses, improve the performance of your hot water heater, and improve water heater efficiency, whether it is an electric or gas model.

Some of the tips provided are simple, and you can do them easily, while some will require you to get help from a professional. Depending on your needs, you might need residential plumbing, commercial plumbing, or industrial plumbing services to get an efficient water heater system.

Right-Sized Water Heater will Improve Water Heater Efficiency

Is your water heater the proper capacity for your home? You might believe that a smaller water heater makes them superior for saving energy, but you’d be mistaken. Why? Because an underpowered water heater is overburdened, it’s been heated too much, so while you use the hot water, the burner must be running continuously.

This doesn’t help to improve water heater efficiency. Large utility bills may result from that hot water heater running nonstop! Which decreases water heater efficiency. Instead, make an investment in a bigger water heater that can sustain the hot water demands of your household.

If your existing hot water heater seems to be in continual use, it could be time for an update that will improve water heater efficiency subsequently.

Keep an Eye on Particles in the Tank 

If you reside in a region where the water is hard, you are aware that this may have a considerable effect on the efficiency of water heaters. These minerals crystallize and deposit on the bottom of your hot water heater as the water is heated. This debris lowers water heater efficiency and then, over time, slows your water heater.

Emptying the water heater’s tank once a year can help maintain your tank by cleaning the debris to help improve water heater efficiency. You can do this yourself by reading company guidelines and safety instructions or call a residential plumbing service, commercial plumbing service, or industrial plumbing service according to your needs.

To Improve Water Heater Efficiency, Invest in a Tankless Water Heater 

Perhaps you have heard the questions concerning the efficiency of water heaters regarding regular tank and tankless options. Tankless versions are the latest, high-performance, and most efficient type of water heater. This type will require less effort to improve water heater efficiency.

They may give you an infinite supply of hot water while saving you up to 40% on energy costs. Tankless water heaters only operate when you’re actually utilizing the hot water, unlike conventional water heaters. This will improve water heater efficiency for your home.

Traditional water heaters heat the water and afterward keep it hot, switching on and off to keep water held in a big reservoir heated for hours, even when not in use. But on the other hand, tankless water heaters switch on when you turn on the hot water tap and off when you turn it off, resulting in significant savings over traditional tank hot water heaters, which makes this type an efficient water heater.

Improve Water Heater Efficiency by Insulating the Water Tank and Pipes

The tank and pipework of your hot water heater can be considered the source of heat and energy loss. It will lose less heat if you install more insulation around the storage-style water heater. Especially with gas-fired water heaters, install the insulating according to the requirements of the manufacturer to avoid blocking the air inlet.

Consider insulating the water tank and the external pipes to save the most energy and improve water heater efficiency, preventing heat loss as freshly heated water travels from the water heater to its final destination. Insulation blankets are reasonably priced and can significantly lower your energy costs!

While you try to improve water heater efficiency, be sure not to block the water heater’s top, bottom, thermostat, or burner for gas tanks or the thermostat for electric tanks. Insulate hot water pipes as well. It is more likely that you won’t be wasting energy and resources the next time you use hot water if the water in hot water pipes remains warm after you run the tap. This makes a lot of difference in improving water heater efficiency.

Turn Down Your Thermostat

Simply decreasing the hot water heater’s thermostat can have a substantial impact on your energy bill and help to improve water heater efficiency, just like you’d do with your heater during the winter or your air conditioner during the summer. A hot water heater’s factory setting is normally 60 degrees Celsius.

By decreasing your water temperature by just 10 degrees, you could save 3–5% on your overall water heating costs. It’ll also improve water heater efficiency. If your thermostat is broken or does not display the temperatures, it might be a bit difficult to improve water heater efficiency this way, but it is not impossible. You can just use a thermometer to get the required temperature.

If you have young kids, they may be at risk of accidentally burning themselves because a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius is too hot for human skin tissue. Lowering your thermostat to 50 degrees Celsius is the best way to improve water heater efficiency while also lowering this risk factor. 

All hot water pipes in new home construction need to be insulated. Except for pipes that are easily accessible, such as those in a basement, insulating pipes in older homes can be fairly complex and may not be worth the effort.

 

An alternative system, such as a solar water heater, will be able to improve water heater efficiency in general and satisfy a larger portion of your needs.