Water heater operation can be a large drain on your household's energy use, consuming up to 17 percent of your total usage, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Heating water during New Jersey winters can use more energy than necessary if your heater and pipes aren’t protected from the cold. Anything you can do to increase the efficiency of heating your water and keeping it as hot as possible until it’s used will reduce your energy bills this winter and all year long.
What You Can Do to Increase Your Water Heater’s Efficiency
1. Protect the area around your water heater
How warm or cold is the air around your water heater? If it’s quite cold in winter, this may indicate a need for better insulation. Re-caulk windows, install door draft guards, and plug up other drafty cracks in the area so your water heater uses less energy heating and holding hot water.
2. Insulate your hot water pipes
Check to see if the pipes your water heater relies on to send water around to other areas of your home, like the sink and shower, are exposed to cold temperatures. This can be the case even indoors. Insulating these pipes will help your heated water retain its heat until it reaches its final destination.
3. Wrap your water heater in a thermal blanket
New energy efficient water heaters are required to come with additional surrounding insulation. Since that wasn’t true in the past, you may have an older water heater that is not insulated. If it’s still functional overall, you can wrap it up in a special thermal blanket made for water heaters. Insulation blanket kits with instructions are available at most home improvement stores.
4. Check your water heater’s thermostat and pilot light
This is a precaution to ensure your thermostat is set correctly and your heating source is working the way it should. If you’re not comfortable doing this, you can call a professional who can show you how to check your pilot light.
Get Answers to Your Water Heater Questions
If you have an older water heater or you think your current water heater could be more efficient, talk to the experts at Princeton Air. We’ve got all the latest information on recent efficiency regulations that make the newer water heaters both energy and cost efficient.
Our repair and installation professionals will walk you through the many options available to ensure you head into winter with a properly installed, highly efficient water heater that fits your home and budget.
Get 0% APR for 36 months on a new, energy efficient water heater from Princeton Air. Contact us today or call (609) 799-3434 to learn more.
