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Windfall Ecology Centre
Water Heating Energy Saving Tips
On average, water heaters use the most energy in the home after space heating – more energy than all your lights and appliances combined. Follow the suggestions below on ways to improve the efficiency of your water heater, and cut back on wasted hot water.
- Insulate your hot water tank. Insulating your heater tank is fairly simple and inexpensive. An insulation kits that contains a vinyl-covered insulation jacket, pre-cut tape and instructions can be purchased from hardware stores.
- Insulate your water pipes that pass through unheated areas or service washing machines. The snap-on type of pipe insulation are the best for existing homes.
- Fix leaky faucets. Those little drops can add up to 95 litres of wasted water per faucet per month.
- Install low flow aerators on faucets and shower heads. These devices will allow you to do the same job with much less water.
- Run washing machines and dishwashers with full loads.
- Wash with warm, rinse with cold.
- Set your hot water heater at 130 degrees F (54 degrees C). You need that temperature to kill bacteria in the water, but you don’t need it hotter. Measure the temperature using a cooking thermometer under running water from the tap closest to the hot water heater.