Adjusting Water Heaters to Save Money & Energy

Water Heaters constantly lose energy to the outside air. They frequently turn on to keep the water at full temperature. When they are setting in a cold place like the garage, they can waste a lot of energy. But most folks don’t need large amounts of hot water after showers and clothes washing in the morning. Most water heaters will stay warm for 24 hrs after they are turned down or turned off. A good deal of the water in the tank is warmed up to full temperature within fifteen minutes after the heater is turned back on.

Turn off your electric water heater or turn down your gas water heater after morning showers and washing the clothes. Turn it back on before you go to bed, or better yet—for maximum savings—fifteen minutes before you take showers the next morning. Most water heaters will retain enough warm water for the rest of the day.

Locate the circuit breaker switch in the power panel for the electric water heater. You can flip it off and on just like a light switch.

You can do the same with newer gas water heaters. Turn the water temperature control to the “vacation” setting or down to the minimum setting or “warm.” That’s why there is a “vacation” setting. It is telling you: don’t waste energy during vacation—every day. The temperature control knob is located on the gas control unit mounted on the water tank. It is usually a round white knob that sticks out to the side with warm to hot temperature markings on the circumference. Above the temperature knob, there is usually a red knob with markings that say “On,” “Pilot,” and “Off.” Do not touch this red knob unless you know what you are doing. If you make a mistake, you will have to call someone to re-light the pilot light. Turn the temperature control knob back to a low temperature setting when you need hot water. But do not, and I repeat, do not play with the red gas control knob.

Try the simple experiment. Turn off your water heater tomorrow when you go to work or leave the house. It takes no more time than starting your car. Try it. You may never know the difference. But you could be very pleased with a smaller
power bill—and discover what we have been wasting all these years. Ask your neighbors. One of them can show you how to do this easily and safely.