In most homes, a surprisingly large amount of energy is devoted to water heating. According to EPA estimates, about 25% of the energy usage in a typical home is spent on heating water. Installing a tankless water heater can result in significant energy savings, but the initial cost can be very high. If you’re not ready to invest in a tankless water heating system just yet, there are some effective, lower cost solutions that can help you reduce your energy bill without a loss of water heating performance.
Replacing your existing storage type water heater can result in significant energy savings. Energy efficient storage type water heaters are more widely available than they were just ten to fifteen years ago. You can reduce your energy consumption for water heating by about 7% by installing an Energy Star qualified water heater.
Sizing the water heater properly can also save big on energy usage. Installing a water heater that is too large increases energy losses due to standby heat loss. Choose the smallest size water heater that will provide sufficient hot water for your needs. Compare the first hour ratings to see how much hot water the water heater can deliver during periods of peak demand.
Installing an insulation blanket on your water heater is a low cost way to minimize standby heat loss. Depending on how well your water heater is insulated, you can save as much as 9% on water heating energy costs with an insulation blanket.
Heat traps installed in the inlet and outlet pipes can reduce convective heat loss. Heat trap should be installed by an experienced plumber and the most cost effective time to install them is during a water heater replacement.
