How to Save Energy on Water Heating

The heating of water for laundry, dishes and baths is among the most costly energy expenditure in any home. To save money on your power bill, it's important to conserve hot water and insulate your pipes to retain heat once it has been generated.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Energy efficient showerheads and faucets
• Insulation
• Energy efficient appliances
• Heat traps

1. Replace older showerheads and faucets with energy efficient fixtures. These new faucets restrict the flow of water and reduce energy expenses.
2. Inspect your plumbing system for leaks. The total amount of water wasted by a leaky faucet can be startling. One leak can waste gallons of water if left untreated.
3. Reduce the temperature setting on your water heater. Experts recommend keeping your thermostat set between 120 and 130 degrees F.
4. Limit the number of baths you take. While a bath can be soothing and relaxing, it requires much more hot water than a shower of comparable length.
5. Install extra insulation around your water heater. Your neighborhood hardware store will carry a variety of insulation jackets that are designed to fit snugly around most water heaters. Instead of a professional insulation jacket, you can wrap your water heater in a blanket and secure it in place with duct tape.
6. Wrap your water heater's pipes with extra insulation to save energy. You only need to insulate the initial length of pipe connecting your water heater to the wall. This length of pipe should be no more than 6 feet.
7. Buy an energy efficient dishwasher to replace an older one. You can reduce the amount of hot water needed to wash dishes by using a dishwasher displaying the government's Energy Star designation.
8. Abandon the pointless practice of pre-washing dishes by hand before running them through a dishwasher cycle. In most cases, this process is unnecessary and only serves to waste time and hot water. You may need to pre-wash dishes with caked-on food residue, but normal dirty dishes should go directly into the dishwasher.
9. Buy heat traps to insulate your water heater's pipes. Install these traps around both the hot and cold water pipes. Newer water heaters may come with traps already in place.
10. Eliminate problematic sediment that collects within your water tank. Drain 4 cups worth of water from your tank at least every 3 months. You may need to consult your water tank's instruction manual for specific directions on how to drain water.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider installing a solar-powered water heating system. While the cost of purchasing and installing a solar system is quite high, a bank of solar panels can virtually eliminate the energy costs associated with heating water.
• Look for tax credits. By taking action to save energy on water heating, you may qualify for special tax breaks.