Energy Smart Design

Maximizing Hot Water Heater Efficiency

If you set your water heater thermostat too high, you may be inadvertently burning more energy away than what is necessary, thus wasting money.  Lowering the temperature (or improving the hot water heater efficiency) can help you to save energy by simply minimizing heat loss through the heater's casing, as well as through the air surrounding the hot water tank (this loss is known technically as "stand-by" loss).  When this pre-set hot water is distributed to appliances like dishwashers or clothes washers, and can be maintained at the same temperature, you will save even more.  In a nut shell, you will achieve significant overall savings by leveraging the hot water heater efficiency.

Temperature Settings

Use a separate thermometer to find out the temperature of your hot water tank (thermostat settings are known to be inaccurate at times).  First reach for the faucet on the tank and turn it on.  Leave the thermometer inside a glass and let hot water flows until the reading on the thermometer stabilizes.

The followings are guidelines for water temperature settings with respect to some common routines.

Washing hands: 110° to 115° Fahrenheit

Showers: 110° to 115° Fahrenheit

Dishwashers: An optimal temperature range for residential dishwasher is between 130° to 140° Fahrenheit.  Certain makes include pre-installed booster heaters so the water heater tank can be set at a lower 110° to 115° Fahrenheit.  Liquid soaps can work well with automatic dishwasher at a lower temperature.  Experiment with your dishwasher with various temperatures in order to find the most cost-effective setting to complement your hot water heater efficiency.  

Laundry: Invariably, majority of clothes can withstand both cold and warm water while being cleaned.  Hot water, actually, has been known to cause stains to set in.  Being flexible on the water temperature while washing clothes will definitely save energy, additionally it also helps to delay wear and prevent fading.  But remember to use cold water for the follow-up rinse cycle.

Changing Temperature Settings

Making changes to the hot water temperature is a simple process.  A plumber or a general contractor can handle this with ease, or perhaps yourself.  For electric water heaters, you can find the thermostat by the side of the water heater tank and shielded by a cover plate (locked in place by a few screws on top).  Most electric power water heaters operate with two heating elements. There are two thermostats for each respective heating element; make sure you don't miss either one of them as you fiddle with the temperature settings. 

More importantly! Make sure you power down the electric water heater even before you attempt to remove the cover plate lest you get electrocution.

Your initial attempts to change the temperature settings will likely result in short supply of hot water in your household.  Keep experimenting until you get to a setting that discharge sufficient hot water while putting a lid on unnecessary energy wastage, thus maximizing your hot water heater efficiency.