Hot Water Systems: Three Practical Improvements for Reducing Energy Expenses

Residential hot water systems ensure convenience when handling tasks such as washing dishes and clothes, and they ensure the comfort of the family by providing heated water for showers. Unfortunately, the cost of heating water for these regular and essential processes can be high. Therefore, if you are looking for ways to manage your energy bills, you should think about making some changes to your hot water system. Here are some practical tips to help you enjoy lower water heating bills.

Replace Your Old Heater

You should consider replacing your old hot water system if you have an old appliance in your house. You can reduce your heating expenses significantly by eliminating your old system and installing a modern energy-efficient alternative. If you are interested in an electric heater, you should check the energy star rating before purchase. More efficient heaters will be more expensive to buy, but the long-term running costs will be quite low. You can also look for other types of heaters with lower operating costs than electrical systems. For example, natural gas and solar hot water heaters are quite energy efficient.

Insulate Your Home Piping

If you have an energy-efficient hot water appliance, the source of your heating inefficiencies might be related to the piping. In simple terms, if the plumbing pipes installed to allow the flow of hot water from the appliance to the point of use are uninsulated, they will cause the loss of heat. As a result, you will be forced to increase the hot water system temperature settings to compensate for the losses. These energy losses and temperature increases can seem negligible. However, the cumulative energy expenses caused by the bare piping can be significant. Therefore, you should engage a plumber to install insulation coats around your hot water pipes. This process will ensure that the heat is contained by the heated water. If your hot water system has a storage container, you should ensure that this feature is also insulated.

Manage Your Water Usage

You should reduce your use of hot water around your home to manage your energy expenses. Often, heated water is used in houses for tasks that can be performed using cold water. As a result, the cumulative hot water costs are unnecessarily high. For example, clothes and dishes can be washed using cold water. Therefore, you should consider setting your dishwasher and laundry machine to use cold water except for special applications. Also, you should think about installing high-efficiency outlets such as showerheads for reduced water usage.