Tankless water heaters are the latest tools in the industry that help in creating a more energy efficient household. Unlike tradition heating units that are constantly heating and reheating water so that it remains hot for your usage, tankless water heaters generate hot water for you instantly whenever you need it. These tankless heaters use electric coils or high-powered gas burners to give you the kind of water you desire.
Even though this kind of heating uses more power but since the water is not heated again and again like a traditional tank heater, the overall energy used is low for these tankless heaters. These tankless heaters only warm up your water when you need it, and so you do not have to worry about finishing the hot water while taking a shower.
How Do Tankless Water Heaters Work?
Unlike a traditional water heater where you store your water and maintain the temperature until someone starts to use a washing machine or turn on the shower faucet, tankless heaters heat water only when it is in demand. If no tap is on then no water will be getting heated. Due to this, these tankless water heaters are also known as demand water heaters.
Even though these tankless water heaters are very much efficient on their own, homeowners are constantly looking for ways to make their appliance more efficient and reduce their energy usage. This is why we have compiled a list of multiple things you can do to make these tankless water heaters even more effectual than they already are.
Mentioned below are some Do It Yourself (DIY) tasks that you can apply at your household to increase the effectiveness of your water heater.
DIY Tasks To Increase Efficiency Of Your Water Heater
It is important that u insulate your tankless water heater and the water pipes on it. This insulation will help in preventing any heat loss from the water as it travels from the tankless water heater to its demanded destination.
Insulating your hot water pipes and hot water tanks will help you in saving maximum energy.
Opt For Showers Instead Of Baths
When taking a bath, you may use around 35-65 gallons of water at a time depending on the size of your bathtub. However, if you choose to shower then a standard showerhead will use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. As you start to extend your shower time to 10 minutes, you will have used 25 gallons of water which is still less than a bath.
The shorter your showers, the more water you save. You can also opt for a low-flow shower faucet as this will use around two gallons of water per minute so a ten-minute shower will use only twenty gallons of water. You can also take a Navy shower; this means that you wash your hair and body while the water is off.
And while you are waiting for the hot water to be your desired temperature, collect the running water and use it to water the plant and trees in your surroundings.
Wash Loads Of Laundry And Dishes At A Time
It may not look like it. However, a dishwasher uses less hot water to operate as compared to washing these dishes by hand. However, make sure that you are only washing full loads of dishes and clothes. Even though most laundry machines have a water setting that works for small laundry loads, it is not very effective. Washing in full load whether it is clothes or dishes will help in getting work done faster and with less effort.
Fix Your Leaking Water Lines
Leaking plumbing lines mean that you will consume more water and waste more water as well. A single leaking faucet can waste gallons of water a year. A single dripping faucet can make up to 5 gallons of water a day so make sure that you fix any leaking pipelines.
Also, check your shower heads and bathtubs for any leaks in them.
Lower The Water Temperature
The standard temperature setting for a tankless water heater is approximately 20 degrees hotter than our daily need. Since you require hot water almost every day, you can save a lot of your money and energy by lowering the water temperature. Keep in mind that for every 10-degree deduction, you can save around 5% on the heating cost of water.