Energy Savings(Electric Water Heater)

[gadgetgary]

Would anyone care to comment on the monthly savings of turning off my electric water heater at certain times of the day? There must be some savings by not having the water heater on 24/7. The water heater is a 50 gal Rheem brand installed in '05.

Does anyone use a timer on their water heater(see link below)?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100088282

 

[launderess]

My late but dear grandmama, used to keep her boiler off unless hot water was needed, say for bathing, laundry or washing up. Woman was tight with a penny and not sure how much this behaviour kept her bills down. Her boiler was an old oil behemoth that got the water up to temp quite quickly.

Is your hot water heater insulated? Are you away from home most of the day? Do you shower,do your washing up early and retire say before 11pm or so? In short would the boiler be off long enough to make energy savings worth wild?

If your hot water heater is not insulated, doing so and or adding a timer can help save energy. A well insulated hot water heater should keep water near temp for quite some time, meaning less energy would need to be spent reheating water.

L.

L.

 

[toggleswitch2]

There is a caveat with old cast-iron and/or steel boilers.
The thermal shock of constant on/off (i.e. room temp to hot water temp) can cause cracks and premature failure of the equipment. Less of an issue on newer boilers and standard hot water heaters.

 

[frigilux]

Some utility companies will put electric water heaters on timers; I have friends in Seattle who take advantage of that. Maybe Dan or one of our other Seattle-area members can weigh in with all the details.

While in Seattle, I tried to wash two loads of clothes in hot water and quickly ran out. I was afraid my friends' water heater was malfunctioning and called them at work. This is how I found out it was on a timer.

My question: Doesn't it take a lot of electricity to bring all that water back to temp? How much savings is there?

 

[jeffg]

We don't. It's a bit too soylent green for my taste. But it could be a real moneysaver depending on your water heater usage.

Rather than worrying about whether I have hot water at any given time of day, I'd install a tankless/on-demand unit instead. They make a lot more sense energy-wise.

 

[toggleswitch2]

As the difference bewteen the water temp. in the heater and the ambient room temp. decreases, the losses to the atmosphere lessen.

When done right, the cost to re-heat needs to be less then the standby losses, meaning the water should sit unheated (nearing cold)for rather long periods, or else the only thing one is actually doing is time-shifting the re-heating.

 

[mihi]

my brother does it.

My brother has his water heater on a timer. He is also stingy on air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, though I've always been fairly comfortable at all times when I'm at his house. He has the lowest electric and water bills of anyone I've ever seen. He even rents out rooms in his house to visiting scientist (has three right now).
He said his electric runs about $50 to $60 and his water about $12 to $15 per month. He has no natural gas at his place and is on septic, so no sewer fees.

 

[7080swashertalk]

I think if I were replumbing I would put point-of-use or instant POU water heater at various points. I take what I think they call "military showers" hate the name but it is -
turn on the water, get wet, water off, shampoo, water on rinse, water off, lather, water on rinse, use hose to rinse down shower walls. water off.

Kitchen sink-the smallest 110volt or similar OR 2.5 gallon w.h. under sink. If I were using the 2.5 gal. I would have it on a timer or have a wall switch. Maybe use the outlet for the garbage disposal.

Bathroom sink- a 1 gallon POU or small instant w.h. no switch.

Bathtub- a 20 gallon with switch and or timer OR a heated showerhead OR a POU instant 220 volt.

Washer- This is great, Because the front loaders are so efficient one could easily tap off either sink or also give it a separate POU instant

The other thing about standing tanks is that the heat they waste comes into the room. if it comes into the rooms, in warm weather, you have more to cool. Thus wasting more energy. I have found in more than one instance where a utility room with a boiler or water heater is much hotter than the rest of the house.
POU options would elimate that.
So you would save in other areas beside water heating.

You can also gain floor space.

 

[westie2]

Timers for electric hotwater heaters

At one home we had was total electric and had two hot water heaters. One was for 1/2 bath, wtility and kitchen the other was for two bathrooms both 50 gallon heaters. Also had 2 air/heat units. Our first electric bill was 450.00!!!!!!!!!! My wife cried at work all afternoon. I got on the phone with the power company got us levelized to 300.00 and also was told to get timers for the hot water tanks. As this was 1991 went to True Value and got the timers for 25.00 each. Installed and we saw a good drop in usage the next month. For the bedroom side had the timers come on at 5:00 am and off at 8:00 am then back on at 9:00 pm and off at 10:30 pm this heater was in a closet in a hallway. The other had come on at 6:00 am and off at 9:00 am for running washer/dishwasher. Back on at 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm for kitchen/dw/washer use. If really needed for hot water say on Saturday/Sunday they both had override buttons. The unit at 40.00 will probabally save that amount in a couple of months.

 

[7080swashertalk]

$450. in 1991. owww

my head hurts now.

2 50 gallon. well my parents had 2 75 gallon in their ridiculous house.

God think of the savings to be had. you can tell who has been pushing americans to build oversized houses with inefficient insulation and heating products.
what a waste. no wonder the glaciers are melting.

 

[westie2]

Timers

This was a 20 year old home and there were my wife and I and 4 kids still at home the oldest two were already on their own. This was in Russellville, Ar where Arkansas Nuclear One units 1 and 2 are. At that time we had the highest cost in the nation. We did insulate more and in 1992 moved from the older Airtemp a/c and resistance heat to two new Carrier Heat pumps. Cost was fiited by the power company and was added to our monthly billing no interest. When we moved in 1996 our levelized bills had come down to 185.00 month. Yes we did have large clothes line outside. I am trying to work through our city here to override the covenant of no clothes lines in our subdivision.

 

[7080swashertalk]

"I am trying to work through our city here to override the covenant of no clothes lines in our subdivision"

Good for you. That is such a lame restriction.

If subdivisions can have that one than I want a no lawn chemicals restriction.
Eww, I can just hear the outcry. "how are we going to keep our quest for lush, plush, "weed" free lawn? our suburban fantasy world!"

 

[j2400]

Neighborhood convenants are so wonderful

I think "no clothes lines" are a common rule. I've heard of that restriction around here. Along with what color you can paint your house (you mean, I can't have Vintage Maytag Turquoise? Why not?!?). I remember seeing one house in a development that had been recently painted, and looked subdued. Yet, one of the neighbors complained...it's not an approved color.

 

[sudsmaster]

I turn off the gas water heater and shut off the water to the house when I go away for a week or more. It does amount to some savings, but not that much. In the summer, when the gas usage is primarily for heating water and not much else, the gas portion of the bill is less than $20/month.