Rising energy costs eat into your budget more and more every year, so it makes good economic and environmental sense to find easy ways to conserve energy in your Northeast Ohio home. Turning the temperature down on your water heater is an easy way to save money on your utility bills. It will only take a few minutes to accomplish and will not cost you anything.
Many manufacturers deliver water heaters with preset operating temperatures of 140 degrees F. Unless you need your water temperature that high for a specific reason, such as operating a dishwasher that does not have its own water heating element, you can turn the setting on your water heater down to provide water at the lower temperature. You can do this without sacrificing the comfort and utility of hot water.
If your heater delivers water at 120 degrees, it will provide the hot water your family needs while saving you a significant amount of money on your utility bills. Keeping your hot water at a lower temperature also reduces the risk of scalding.
Lowering your water heater setting is simple. If you have a natural gas heater, the temperature control knob is easy to find near the bottom of the tank. Electric water heaters may have thermostats installed behind panels that you can open to adjust the settings. Before you change the setting, measure the temperature of the hot water at the faucet farthest from the heater. Then lower the setting in small increments, testing the temperature after a few hours, until your hot water reaches the temperature you want to maintain in your system.
There are a few other things you can do with your hot water system to save energy. Wrap the hot pipes leading away from your water tank with insulation to prevent heat losses. If you have an older natural gas heater, wrapping the tank in an insulating blanket will save money. You can also install low-flow devices on shower and sink faucets to reduce water consumption.
Contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning for more energy-saving tips for your Lorain area home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area