Are you searching for ways of saving household costs? Are you interested to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle? You should focus on improving the efficiency of your hot water heater. An energy-efficient heater will consume or utilize less energy and in turn, it will help you save money and help the environment. It is true that water heaters are one of the most energy-consuming appliances used in our households today. As reported by the Department of Energy, about 16% of the total annual energy consumed in a typical household in Australia is by water heaters. Furthermore, a single Australian family is reported to pump about 3000 pounds of CO2 in the air every year due to the use of water heaters, thereby contributing to the phenomenon of global warming.
Hence, it is essential to bring a reduction in the energy consumption for your hot water use and the simplest and most convenient ways of doing so are:
- Lessening the use of hot water as much as possible
- Reducing the loss of heat in the water heating and hot water distribution systems of your homes
Let’s have a close look at the aforementioned two ways of improving hot water efficiency in your households.
Lessening the use of hot water as much as possible
Remember, less use of hot water means low utility costs. Whether you are taking baths or washing dishes and clothes, try to use less hot water service.
- Instead of repairing old showerheads, you should replace those with new and latest models. For a low-flow model, you can spend an amount of $25, thereby getting a satisfactory shower and at the same time-saving energy
- Closely monitor and fix leakages in showerheads and faucets
- For washing clothes, you are recommended to make use of cold water or rinse the clothes using cold water at least. You may also replace your old clothes washer with an Energy Star (front-loading model)
- Use modern dishwashers so that the food can be scraped off rather than rinsing it with water. However, if you require rinsing the food from the dishes, ensure to use cold water. In case you are thinking of replacing your dishwasher, purchase an Energy Star model
Reducing the loss of heat in the water heating and hot water distribution systems of your homes
For making your water heater efficient, you also need to find ways of reducing waste while heating and distributing hot water.
- Your water heater must be insulated. Additional insulation in a storage-type water heater can assist in the reduction of heat loss. It is also necessary to follow instructions of the manufacturer while insulating water heaters, especially the gas-fired water heaters
- Your hot water pipes must also be insulated. In fact, you can insulate your cold-water pipes for reducing dripping and condensation in the season of summer.
- The installation of simple devices on the hot and cold-water connections of your water heating system such as ‘heat traps’ and ‘anti-convection valves’ may help in preventing ‘passive heat exchange (thermosiphon) in the water heaters
- Lower the setting of temperature on your water heater. You may also use an ‘on-demand circulator’ under your kitchen sinks or bathrooms if those are not near the water heater. This device acts as a user-activated pump for bringing warm water to the point where it needs to be used
For hot water repair, you can hire the services of a well-known and Efficient Plumber Sydney service. If you have successfully improved the efficiency of your hot water, you can utilize an alternative system, that is, a solar water heater for meeting your hot water needs along with affordability needs.