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Try This:  turning off the water heater  |
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fionalovesshrek
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Paige
kinston
North Carolina
USA
186 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 07 2008 : 3:53:46 PM
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I have been thinking for over a year now about turning off my water heater at night, and then back on the the morning about 15 minutes before I shower. We have a 30 gallon tank that resides in the attic. We turned off the heater at night for three nights. Then off again after our morning shower on the third morning. That was Thursday morning and we haven't had to turn it back on again. We've washed dishes, given the boys baths and had showers. To be fair it is 100 degree's here and because the tank is in the attich which is HOT, the water is naturally HOT. Anyway, I wanted to share our little energy saving idea. We do have the a/c on (set at 85) and are hoping our efforts offset the a/c use.
P~
living a good neighbor life |
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Shi-anne
True Blue Farmgirl
596 Posts
Cheryl
Ada
OK
USA
596 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2008 : 2:25:20 PM
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When we had an electric hot water tank, we would turn it off for periods of time during the warmer months. I don't know how much money we saved, but we thought it helped at the time.
Now we have a gas hot water heater, so we would have to relight and everything, so we just turn the temperature setting down some.
Farmgirls don't have hot flashes ~ They have power surges! |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2008 : 7:43:18 PM
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| I think keeping the water at the correct temp all the time would use less energy than always having to re-heat it for your use. Maybe your power company, or the place where your bought your heater -- or better yet, the people who installed it -- could give you solid advice on this. You could also look into insulating your heater. |
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Sagewood
True Blue Farmgirl
106 Posts
South Carolina
106 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 05:36:58 AM
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When I was young, there was a time when my father just about blew because of the electric bill. They had raised the rates and our electric bill doubled. He decided to do something about it..and read up on all the little ways to save energy. Cutting the water heater off at night was one of the, so at the main box, they would turn it off every night and back on every morning. That alone, saved the most money. There were other little things we did, and for the life of me cannot remember, but all combined saved enough money and lowered our electric bill enough that the electric company called us and asked what we were doing!!
Sage,
The Hedgewife
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 11:55:31 AM
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Sage, that experience makes it worth while at least to check with whoever's in charge in our neck of the woods. It may be that heaters operate a little differently nowadays, but maybe not. Ours is propane, but it has some kind of electric switch to it somewhere. I'll look into it. Since my husband and I both take showers in the morning, we'd want our heater on through the night, but why waste energy during the way, when were off at work, or outside gardening, or whatever?
BTW, when we had a spell of no hot water a while ago, I just got a cheap "utility tent" (4 feet square but 7 feet tall, with a hook on top to hold a heavy camp shower bag. I foundmy "solar shower" camp gear out of the shed and rigged it up for quickie outdoor (but private) showers after heavy yard work. It was such a great idea that I left it up. Much better than slogging through the house all muddy and sweaty to get to the upstairs shower, and it saves hot water during the day -- when I now might be turning it off. Great post, Sage. You really got me thinking. |
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iloveprims
True Blue Farmgirl
154 Posts
TRACY
Phillipsburg
NJ
USA
154 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 2:55:12 PM
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We actually have our entire heating system off, for some reason in the summer months our water stays warm even without it being heated by the boiler... dont know about the water bill or electric bill (on a budget plan) but the water bill hasnt come in yet... I am hoping it goes down.
http://wantingtobeme.blogspot.com |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 3:34:20 PM
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| Tracy, I imagine that a water heater in someone's attic or (as ours is) a poorly insulated former porch might well get hot-enough water in summertime without heating it artificially. Hmm. Lots of things to think about in this thread! |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 5:29:54 PM
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I got rid of our hot water tank and got a gas tankless system. With 7 adult sized bodies trying to all get a shower in the morning out of a tiny (less than the size of our kitchen stove) HWT it was not working. I am SO happy with the tankless system. Would choose to never go back if I can have that choice! No tank, no ongoing heating needs, only use it when you need it. Saves in a multitude of ways.... the most important would be my sanity level!!
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 6:12:58 PM
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Where did you get the tankless system through? I was thinking of this option too. Laurie
Best Growing |
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RoseRed
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
Karen
Virginia
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 6:47:05 PM
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| Which tankless did you get? How does it work? We're looking at this too! |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 7:14:25 PM
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| I heard those tankless systems are really expensive, up front, to install. They sure sound wonderful, though. |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 09:18:17 AM
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We have a Rinnai. I did all the consumer research and landed on that one. Of course a year or so later my DH's company started selling them and we could've gotten it for cheaper. At the time, I know the Lowes and Home Depot were selling tankless systems, but they were no where big enough for a household. More of the under-the-sink kitchen size. We wrangled, bartered and begged and got ours installed for about $1100. If you went total user-end prices without cutting costs, I don't know how much they would be.
Our tankless system is heated with natural gas. It only comes on when you turn on the hot water to use it. It takes just a couple of seconds for hot water to make it to the tap. It is actually cheaper and easier on the heater to leave the water running when doing things than to keep turning it on and off. The biggest gas pull is right when it comes on. Our biggest use time is first thing in the morning for showers. It may get used once or twice during the day for a few dishes or a load of clothes. But for the most part, it just sits there not using any money, waiting for someone to need it.
Ours is big enough to take two showers at the same time and do dishes in the kitchen. It keeps up and doesn't run out, you just need to coordinate it and let the one in the shower know you are going to be running more water.
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 10:47:31 AM
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| Gee, that seems pretty reasonable. I was taking my cue from one of those DIY home renovation programs o TV, maybe This Old House. They were talking more in the neighborhood of $11,000 than $1100. Our heater is about ready for replacement. I think I'll look into this some more. Thanks, Angie! |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 1:27:01 PM
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Do you have a contractor type friend who can get it wholesale for you? For our cost, we did not have to pay full price for installation or retail for the unit itself.
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 5:58:57 PM
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| We have a handyman/contractor who might be able to look into that for us. There's not money at all for that now, though. Something for the future. |
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neighsayer
True Blue Farmgirl
81 Posts
Shirley
Arabi
GA
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2008 : 07:23:00 AM
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You can also install a timer on your water heater. That's what I have. Every morning it turns on 1/2 hr before I usually take a shower and then turns off 1 hr later. Then it comes on again in the evening and stays on for 2 hrs then cuts off. And you can manually switch the lever for instance if you are doing laundry on the weekend other than the times it is set for. Not expensive either.
Thank God I live in the country! |
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fionalovesshrek
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Paige
kinston
North Carolina
USA
186 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2008 : 5:56:40 PM
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I have been keeping up the turning off and on of the hot water heater since my original post in July and it certainly did offset the cost of using the AC. Our final plan was to turn the heater off after morning showers, and on again at night after dinner. IT's only a 30 gallon tank so it doesn't take much to heat it up. I will check into insulating it though, maybe getting more time out of the hot water in the summer, since we really take warm baths then. Who wants a hot shower at the end of a hot day? not I !
P~
www.fionaswampington.blogspot.com
http://homespunhensfarmgirlchapter.blogspot.com/
Man, despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments, owes his existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains. |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 5:23:12 PM
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| We live in a very old farmhouse and we have no hot water heater! I can get up any time of the night and the heater is running! My budget for fuel from August 2008 to August 2009 is $600.00 a month! I wish I had a hot water heater to turn off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Susan |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2008 : 7:20:10 PM
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Susan,
I don't quite understand how you don't have a heater but it is always running? Did I miss something? Sometimes I am a bit dense? Beverley
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
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clux64
True Blue Farmgirl
162 Posts
Celeste
Blair
NE
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - Sep 15 2008 : 05:05:03 AM
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Several years back my dad installed a toggle switch with a little light in the toggle (light on switch on, light off swtich off) that operated the water heater. If you needed a shower or to run the dishwasher, you just turned the switch on for 15 or 20 minutes beforehand. You could easily check to see if the heater was on by glancing at the switch and looking for the light. The lighted switch also kept you from accidently leaving the water heater on. This was a great, easy (and cheap because my dad installed the switch himself) way to keep the waterheater from heating all the time.
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are"
--Confucious
www.urbanprairiehome.blogspot.com
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PlumCreekMama
True Blue Farmgirl
730 Posts
Heather
Iowa
USA
730 Posts |
Posted - Sep 16 2008 : 10:22:39 PM
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I am looking very forward to getting our outdoor wood furnace next month. We are also getting the water heater, so our water will be heated from the wood we have been stockpiling. Luckily, my grandpa-in-law has a huge timber were we can harvest the fallen trees. Anyone else doing the wood water heater and furnace?
http://plumcreekmama.blogspot.com/
http://plumcreekcreations.etsy.com |
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homesteaderbelle
True Blue Farmgirl
391 Posts
Belle
USA
391 Posts |
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Try This: turning off the water heater |
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turning off the water heater
