Electric Hot Water Tanks.

 Many water tanks can have a exterior insulation blanket installed.  (Caution should be taken that a wrap can be installed.  On the newer units there will a label on the heater stating no blanket may be installed because of unsafe operation and will void your warrantee.  If you are not sure the best thing you can do is check with the manufacturer or dealer of the unit.)  The blanket that I use is a fiberglass vinyl covered material.  It has a R-11 value.  I always have the entire unit covered including the top.  I have the seams taped and the elements marked and the water tempiture written in this area.  I also have straps installed on the unit over the blanket.  There location is always 1 inch from the top and 1 inch from the bottom of unit.  The reason we use the straps are if the tape fails the straps will maintain the blanket's position until repairs can be made.  The reason we have the straps 1 inch from the top and bottom is because at this area the fiberglass will not be compressed  and we will not lose R value. 

Pipe Insulation.

We also install pipe insulation to the supply and return water lines to the unit.  The length we install is usually 6 feet of the cold side and 6 feet of the hot side.  We always try to have the seams facing toward the front of the unit and always have the seams taped and caulked.  Having the seams in this position helps any future repairs to the system easier, and hopefully the measures will be reinstalled.

Hot Water Heater Timer.

We also install timers on electric water heaters. If the customer is a TOD (Time of Day) we will install this unit. A TOD customer is someone that during the on peak hours pays more money per KWH.  And on the off peak hours the pay less.  (Not all electric companies offer this option and the best way to find out is to call your service provider.)                 These timers provide automatic control for electric water heaters. The electronic "Little Gray Box" can reduce the cost of heating water. To maximize savings, they provide to-the-minute accuracy in programming and time-keeping. The time switches can be programmed for repeat daily scheduling, 5-day working week scheduling, weekend scheduling or any individual day scheduling. Timers can be scheduled for operation during the lowest time-of-day rates or to switch off the electric heater during period of utilities peak power usage. The time switch can be set to operate for up to 6 on/off operations daily for a maximum of 42 on/off operations weekly. This model provide a convenient external override switch and LED load indicator for ease in scheduling hot water as required for extra hot water demands. The timers include a battery carryover which protects both time keeping and program information for a minimum of 3 years.

Shower Heads.

The hot water that many of us take for granted can account for a substantial portion of your total energy costs, as much as 25% depending on use. In many cases, showers can be the largest single contributor to overall hot water use. Even a modest 10-minute shower can use up to 50 gallons of hot water with a conventional showerhead. A low-flow showerhead can reduce this by half or even more, without sacrificing the "feel" of the shower. There are a wide variety of low-flow showerheads available, including hand-held and designer models.

How it Works

By restricting the flow and forcing the water through very small apertures, these showerheads  increase the velocity of the water, creating a very fine but "wet" feeling spray pattern. While a conventional showerhead uses 4-5 gallons or more per minute, the low-flow type uses approximately 2 - 2.5 gallons per minute, with some models using even less. Many are equipped with a push-button shutoff valve which allows the user to interrupt the flow of water while soaping up, saving even more.

Replacing a conventional showerhead with a low-flow model is usually a very quick and simple job. With a variety of adapters readily available, they can be fitted to most standard shower arms, including the swivel-type.

Example of Savings

A family of 3 will take almost 1,100 showers per year! With conventional showerheads using 5 gallons of hot water per minute, and assuming 10 minutes per shower, the annual hot water usage would be 55,000 gallons. If the conventional showerheads were replaced with low-flow models rated at 2.5 gallons per minute, the hot water use would be cut in half, saving 27,500 gallons annually. If this water is electrically heated, the annual cost savings would be $241*.

Payback

Based on the typical costs listed below, the payback for installing low-flow showerheads is almost immediate, depending on the frequency of showers.

Typical Cost

Standard Type: $8-$12

With shutoff valve: $10-$15

Designer and hand-held massage type: $15-$25+

*Assuming a typical electric water heater, with a 60 degrees Fahrenheit rise and a fuel cost of $.06/kWh

Costs of showering 

Costs comparison for a family of 2 taking 1 shower per day 7 times per week having a 4 gallon per minute showerhead is shown below.  The existing cost of $12.04 is what it cost per month in electric.  There is 2 people taking the same length showers and the total cost is $24.08.  By having a low flow showerhead the cost are reduced to $2.26 per month per person.  The total saving $19.56 a month.