Getting The Most Out Of Your Propane Heater

Hot water, hot tips!

We often don’t think about our water heaters, but we should. After all, water heating makes up about 20 percent of our energy costs.

If you want to lower that figure a bit, there are some simple ways you can do it. Those small changes can add up to hundreds of dollars a year!

We’ve put together five tips for you so you can use your water heater more efficiently and reap some savings:

Water heater efficiency tips

• Reduce your hot water consumption. There are lots of ways you can do this. Install low-flow shower heads in your shower and aerators on your faucets. Don’t do as many half-loads of laundry. Wait until the dishwasher is fully loaded until running it. The U.S. Department of Energy says that if you run your dishwasher with a full load, you’ll use less water and energy than washing them by hand!
• Lower your water heater temperature. Most water heaters are set at a way higher temperature than they need to be, sometimes as high as 140 degrees. Not only is that a waste of energy, it can be dangerous as that high a temperature can cause scalding, especially in children and the elderly. Most of the time, you’re fine with a temperature between 115 and 120 degrees. You can save up to 22 percent on your water heating costs with just that slight reduction in temperature!
• Insulate your water tank and pipes. If you have a conventional tank water heater, you face what is called “standing heat loss.” That’s heat that’s lost from water stored in the tank as it waits to be used. An insulating water heater jacket reduces that heat loss. Water also loses heat as it moves from the storage tank to the appliance, most of that coming in the first six feet of pipe as it leaves the water heater. Insulate at least this length of pipe to minimize that loss.
• Properly maintain your water heater. Annual maintenance keeps your propane water heater running at peak efficiency, and can help to spot small problems before they turn into bigger and more expensive problems.
• Upgrade to a tankless propane water heater. You’ll have all the hot water you want, when you want it. And no tank means no heating and re-heating the water in the tank when no one is using it, as well as no standing heat loss from the tank. Tankless water heaters are also up to 34 percent more energy efficient than a conventional tank water heater.

Advanced Propane has some of the best water heaters on the market, and can help you get rebates for them as well!

Want to learn more about efficient water heating, or replace your existing equipment? Contact the propane professionals at Advanced Propane, today!