Water Heating & Water Conservation

Water heating can account for 14% to 25% of the total energy consumed in your home.

Conventional water heaters use a tank to store heated water and are fueled by natural gas, electricity, fuel oil, or propane. They are sized from 20 to 80 gallons. While this type of hot water heater is the most commonly used in the U.S., one drawback is their tendency to lose energy through standby heat loss. This is because water is constantly being heated in the tank, even when a hot water tap isn’t running.

There are many things that can be done to reduce the cost of water heating and increase efficiency:

• Install low-flow water fixtures (faucets and showerheads). Make sure your water pressure is set at 20-80 psi to insure proper operation
• Lower the temperature of your water heater
• Fix leaky fixtures
• Wash clothes in cold water
• Consider upgrading your home with efficient appliances that use less hot water (dishwasher or clothes washer)
• Cover water tank with an insulating blanket
• Insulate hot water pipes
• Install drain water heat recovery
• Install a timer and use off-peak power for electric water heaters

If you are purchasing a new water heater, manufacturers have developed more efficient tank storage models, however, there are also many other options:

• Tankless water heaters - Water is heated instantaneously by an electric or gas heating element and delivers a constant supply of hot water without any lag in hot water delivery. Separate demands units can be installed for separate but simultaneous hot water usage.
• Solar water heating - Panels are mounted outside of your home (typically on the roof) and water is heated by the sun. All solar water-heating systems consist of a collector, piping, valves, a storage tank, and sometimes, pumps.
• Heat pump water heaters - Heat pumps used for space heating or cooling (air-source and geothermal), can also be used to heat water - either as a stand-alone system, or in a combination water heating/space conditioning system.