With winter weather just around the corner, wrap up your water heater for energy savings. Up to 25 percent of your home’s energy consumption may be attributed to the water heater. Try this simple test. If your water heater tank is warm to the touch, then you might consider new high-rated insulation.
How important is insulation rating? The rating you choose for your insulation is extremely important. Insulation with an R-25 rating or higher saves as much as 45 percent of idle heat loss from your water heater tank.
What are my choices of insulation? The two basic types of water heater insulations are an insulation jacket and an insulation blanket. Jacket insulation simply slides over the tank and is specific to the model. Blanket insulation is generally a one-size-fits-all.
What about installation? There is a difference for insulation installment for gas and electric water heaters. Whether you choose jacket insulation or blanket insulation, electric water heaters are much safer and easier for insulation installation. Installing insulation on gas water heaters is a different matter. If you’re not absolutely sure how to do this, it’s better to contact a professional heating and cooling technician.
How else can I save energy? One of the quickest and easiest ways is to lower the temperature a few degrees on your water heater. And installing a timer helps reduce consumption as well. Another fix is to add insulation to the inlet and outlet pipes. Heat traps are great for the pipes too, but you may need professional installation for that. Placing an insulation board beneath the tank helps prevent heat transfer to the floor. If replacing your old water heater tank with a new model is an option for you, then be sure to choose an Energy Star-qualified water heater.
If you’ve been putting off saving money on your energy costs, delay no more. Contact Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning with any questions regarding these energy-saving tips. Our professional staff can also help you find ways to save even more energythroughout your entire home. We’ve been proudly serving the greater Hartford area since 1994.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulating your water heater and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.