Whether you are looking for greater efficiency in your home energy usage to lessen your environmental impact, or to cut down on your energy bills, take a look at your hot water system. You may be surprised to find that savings can be made by simply lowering your water heater temperature.
Saving Money with Lower Heat
Due to a mix of different regulations and standards across states, you may find that your hot water system is set anywhere between 120 and 140 degrees. For most people, 120 degrees is just fine for their needs, but there are some exceptions, including:
old dishwashers without preheat functionality, may need to run water at 140 degrees to properly sanitize household utensils.
water with a detectable odor may have bacteria in the system, and a good flush at 140 degrees could be needed to kill off the bacteria.
In most other circumstances, you can save costs with a lower water heater temperature at 120 degrees. Turning the thermostat down saves you money in a couple ways:
heat lost into the surrounds is at a lower cost than if the temperature was set higher.
hot water used in the home for washing is available at a lower cost as well.
Also, if you are going to be away from home for some time, consider switching the temperature down low, and then turning it back up when you arrive home. Otherwise, all that energy devoted to heating the water is simply wasted.
Keep Your Hot Water System at Peak Efficiency
To support your efforts at minimizing hot water costs, regular preventative maintenance of your hot water system will help considerably. Get a HVAC contractor to clean out the system, checking for any signs of corrosion, unusual sediment levels, and serious wear and tear.
Free Expert Advice
If you are unsure about any of this, and need expert advice about any issues around lowering the water heater temperature in your home, please feel free to contact us at Air Assurance. Since 1985, we have been looking after the home comfort needs of the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Image courtesy of Shutterstock