Water Heater Insulation Blankets

Up to 25% of the energy used in the average home is spent on heating water.  Most homes have storage-type water heaters that suffer from standby heat losses.  Storage type water heaters heat a tank of water and keep it hot until there is a demand for hot water for showers, dishwashing, laundry, or some other source.  Standby heat loss is the heat lost from a water heater when there is no demand for hot water.  The water in the hot water storage tank loses heat and the water has to cycle on to keep the water hot.

Standby heat loss can be reduced by up to 45% by adding insulation to the water heater.  Insulation blankets specifically designed for water heaters are available at your local home improvement center. Depending on the age and R-value of your water heater and the cost of installation (if any), a water heater insulation blanket will usually pay for itself in  A water heater insulation blanket can be safely installed by a homeowner on an electric water heater.  Installation of water heater insulation blankets on natural gas or propane water heaters is more complicated and should be completed by a professional plumber who handles water heater repair and installation.

Water heater insulation blankets are most effective on water heaters with a low R-value (below R-24).  If your water heater is warm to the touch, you should see some benefit from installing an insulation blanket.  In addition, water heaters installed in unheated space such as a garage, basement, or crawlspace will benefit from an insulation blanket more than water heaters installed in heated spaces.

Winter Water Heater Problems

Have you noticed that your water heater’s performance has not seemed as reliable during the cold winter months as it did last summer?  Maybe it takes longer for the shower to get hot or you run out of hot water sooner than you used to.

Whatever the symptoms are, many water heater problems first show up in the winter.   There are a few things you can do to help your water heater, but it may be a sign that you need to talk to your plumber about a new water heater installation.

If your water heater is located in an unheated space like a garage or basement, you may want to consider adding some insulation, caulking around windows, and weather stripping the doors to help those areas stay a little warmer.  Wrapping the water heater in a special water heater insulating blanket will also help reduce heat loss.

If your water heater is located some distance from your bathrooms and kitchen, you can help matters by insulating the hot water lines, especially if they run through unheated areas such as basements, crawlspaces, and attics.  You can wrap exposed hot water line with foam pipe insulation available at your local home improvement center.

If none of these suggestions do the trick, have your water heater checked out by a reputable local plumber.  You may have other issues such as a failing heating element, a broken dip tube, or an accumulation of rust and sediment in the tank.  Your plumber help you decide if it is time for a new water heater.

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Many homeowners prefer gas water heaters because they have historically been less expensive to operate.  However, when prices for natural gas rise, the operating cost advantage of a gas water heater decreases and there are some disadvantages to gas water heaters.  Because they use gas, there is always the possibility of a gas leak and since they have an open flame, there is a risk of fire or carbon monoxide formation.  Finally, in some areas gas supply lines are not available and electric water heating is the only option.

If you would prefer to heat water using electricity but are concerned about the cost of electricity for water heating, there are energy efficient electric water heating options available such as a heat pump water heater.

Heat pumps are an increasingly popular way to heat and cool a home, but only recently have water heater heat pumps become widely available.  Heat pumps work by moving heat rather than creating it and are accordingly very efficient.  A heat pump water heater absorbs heat from the surrounding air and uses it to heat the water in a storage tank.

In order to operate effectively, a heat pump water heater must be installed in a location that stays warmer than 40 degrees.  This can be inside a heated space in the home or in an unheated area such as a basement or garage of a home located where temperatures rarely fall below 40 degrees.  In addition, there must be at least 1,000 cubic feet of air space around the water heater which can make indoor installations problematic.  They are equipped with a backup electric heating element in the event the ambient air temperature drops too far.

If it’s time for a new water heater installation, talk to your plumber about whether a heat pump water heater is a good option for your home.

Flushing Your Water Heater

Water heaters typically need very little maintenance to provide good service year after year.  Until it quits working or starts leaking, most homeowners don’t give much thought to their water heaters.  However, regularly flushing your water heater can extend its life and improve its water heating efficiency.

Over time, dirt, rust, scale and other debris settles to the bottom of your water heater and creates a sediment layer.  This sediment layer makes your heating element work hard to heat the water in your hot water storage tank.  It also takes up some volume inside the tank and if the sediment layer gets deep enough, it can cause a noticeable reduction in the amount of hot water available for use by you and your family.  In addition, bacteria can grow in the sediment layer and cause your hot water to be smelly.

Flushing your water heater involves draining the water out of the tank through the drain valve, refilling the tank, and repeating the process until all of the sediment has been flushed from the water heater.  The process requires turning off the gas and electricity to the water heater, disconnecting and reconnecting the inlet line, and opening and closing the inlet water valve.  Once the storage tank has been flushed, everything has to be re-connected, the tank filled, and the electricity and gas turned back on.

Unless you are very comfortable handling the job yourself, flushing your water heater is best done by your local plumber.  They are the experts in water heater repairs and maintenance.