Want to see something really
scary? With Halloween waiting in the
wings I thought you might like to hear a true story of things that go bump in
the night. Because lurking in the depths
of your home, hidden either in your garage or buried in a closet is a gargoyle
that is scaly, it’s ugly, it breathes fire and it’s hungry. In fact it can devour as much as a quarter of
the energy it takes to run your home month in and month out. Before you start searching for the number of
the Ghost Busters allow me to clarify the situation by pointing out that I am
talking about your home’s water heater.
I realize that most people do
not live in fear of their water heater.
But maybe they should. If left to
its own devices any traditional water heater that is at least ten years old can
eat you out of house and home, since hard water deposits called scale makes
these units progressively less energy efficient as time goes on.
1. The
average water heater consumes up to 25% of the power that the typical homeowner
pays for month in and month out.
2. Since
this contraption is literally out of sight and out of mind, it isn’t unusual
for most people to ignore the thing until they wake up to find an inch or so of
water on the floor due to the fact that their heater gave up the ghost.
3. The average
life of a water heater is thirteen years. After that, contaminants in the
water tend to collect around the heating element, making the heater even less
energy efficient.
4. Speaking
of energy efficiency, today there are a number of alternatives to the
traditional water heater. These alternatives take up less space and/or
use up far less energy. (More on that later.)
If you want your water heater
to last longer and work more efficiently I highly recommend that you flush the
system once per year. To accomplish this
you will need to first turn off the power to the heater by flipping off the
circuit breaker. If your heater is gas
fired, turn the thermostat to the “pilot” setting. Then turn off the water
coming into the unit and connect a hose to the drain located toward the bottom
of the unit. Do NOT open the valve
yet. If you do you run the risk of creating
a vacuum in the system.
To prevent that from
happening you need to turn on one of the hot water faucets on a nearby sink or
tub. Now you can open the tap on the water
heater to drain the hot water from the system.
Just be sure that your kids or pets do not get too close to the far end
of the hose, since the water that will come streaming out if it will be piping
hot. Your plants will also not
appreciate a hot shower either, so my advice is to lead the hose down the
driveway to the curb.
Once the heater empties you
want to leave the drain open while turning the supply line back on. This will help clear some of the crud that
has built up on the bottom of the tank over the years. Once the water runs clear from the hose only
then should you close the drain. (Also,
don’t forget to turn off the hot water running in the kitchen sink.) Give the tank a few minutes to fill before
turning back on the electricity or the gas.
It’s possible to do damage to the heater if you turn on the power with
the tank empty.
Last but not least, once the
water heater has had a chance to heat the water in the tank you need to test
the pressure relief valve. This is the
safety device located at the top of the tank that is designed to prevent the
pressure inside the tank from building to dangerous levels. If this device proves faulty you will want to
have it replaced by a plumber.
While flushing the heater is
one way to keep this beast at bay, it is not the only way to save money when it
comes to energy efficiency. When it
comes time to replace your existing water heater you might want to consider
either a tankless or a hybrid system.
These units not only more energy efficient but they can save space as
well.
Tankless
systems are the ultimate in power efficiency since they make hot water on
demand…as much as you want. Unlike traditional water heaters that expend
the majority of their power consumption on maintaining the temperature of water
stored inside the tank, tankless heaters only operate when you turn on the
tap. Another couple of advantages of a tankless system are that you never
run out of hot water. This is especially useful if you have a large
family or when the overnight guests come for a visit. They also take up
less than a third of the space of a traditional water heater. Some can
even be installed outside, which is the ultimate space saver. The
downside is that tankless heaters tend to be a bit pricier than traditional
units. If you take the long term approach and factor in the energy saved,
these systems will ultimately pay for themselves. However, tankless isn’t
the only way to go.
Hybrid
heaters are available that straddle the fence between traditional and tankless
heaters. Like
tankless systems, hybrids are a bit pricier than traditional water heaters. These units won’t save space, bring a bit taller than
traditional units they replace, since the heat pump is mounted on top. However, they are
much more efficient since they contain a heat pump that draws in heat from the
air to help heat the water. When Consumer Reports tested hybrid heaters they
determined that the average family would save around $320 per year. This is a plus, since hybrid water heaters cost about $1000
more than traditional units.
Whether you decide to opt for
a more energy efficient unit than the one currently in your home or you decide
to bite the bullet by doing flushing your system for another year or so, the
bottom line is that with a little foresight you never need be menaced by the
Gargoyle in the Garage ever again.
Who knew we could save so much money. Thanks Billy!
ReplyDeleteNever new you had to flush you hot water heater. Thanks for the tip
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping me tame one of the monsters in my home. I especially liked the helpful video you included with your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt pays to upgrade!
ReplyDelete