A Guide to Maximizing Water Heater Efficiency During Thanksgiving Weekend
A survey of over 1,000 US adults concluded that the average US adult will spend around $186.05 on Thanksgiving this year! This is a record-high figure compared to the past three years.
You’ll be surprised to know that Thanksgiving expenses aren’t confined to turkey, traveling, and a festive cornucopia. Even everyday household chores are a part of this figure. This includes your energy and water bills!
So this Thanksgiving, use your heating appliances efficiently to save up on costs. Here’s how you can do so:
Minimize consumption
Even if it’s freezing cold outside, you don’t need steaming hot water for every task. Start off by making minute changes to your lifestyle. Instead of taking a hot shower or bathing in a tub, use a bucket.
Moreover, turn off the faucets when you don’t need them and get leaks fixed to make sure you’re not wasting hot water. You can also add low-flow showerheads or faucet aerators to cut down on water consumption.
This will put less strain on your water heater, since you won’t be operating it often.
Insulate hot water pipes
Most homeowners complain that the water that comes out of the faucet is a few degrees colder than the temperature of the heater. If your home’s pipes are old, corroded, and worn out, they will dissipate heat. As a result, you don’t get to enjoy the hot that you’re paying for. You might think your heater is inefficient, but in this case, the problem lies in the pipes.
Call up a plumbing expert to inspect the pipes for any signs of leakages. They’ll also replace the pipes if they’re too old or insulate them with thick material. Other than preventing heat losses, insulation also makes your pipes safer to touch. Insulation is particularly important if the faucets are far from the heater. This is because heat loss is also a function of how far the water has to travel.
Turn down the temperature
Every water heater has a thermostat that allows you to control the temperature and adjust it according to your needs. Most thermostats are set at 140, but frankly speaking, that’s a bit too much.
Setting it lower brings down your energy costs and reduces the risk of scalding that comes with higher temperatures.
If you need any help with repairing, maintaining ort replacing your water heater altogether—look no further than Pro Serve Plumbing. We are up and serving the residents of Fort Worth, TX. Take a look at our plumbing services Fort Worth.