Print
Feb 15, 2008 12:24 pm US/Eastern
Angie's List: Hot Water Heaters
-
-
Proper maintenance can extend the life of your hot water heater.
CBS
How often do you think about your water heater?
Probably not often, except if something goes
wrong.
In this weeks Angie's List
report, Jim Donovan found that proper maintenance can extend your water heaters
life and keep your costs down.
What most homeowners don't realize is that their water
heater could be draining their wallets with every steamy shower or load of
dishes. Maintained properly, water
heaters will last for decades and deliver gallon after gallon of hot
water. Left alone, they'll quickly lose
efficiency, sucking dollars out of your wallet with every degree of heat.
"When it comes to energy usage, the water heater is
actually the third biggest energy consumer in your household and it constitutes
about 15% of your utility bills each month," said Angie Hicks, founder of
Angie's List. "So having an
efficient water heater is going to be important, but if your water heater is
ten years old it may be operating at only 50% of its efficiency."
In a recent Angie's List poll, 70 percent of those
responding didn't perform any maintenance on their water heaters. One simple maintenance task you can do to
improve the efficiency of your water heater is help reduce sediment build up. To do that, drain a quart of water from the
base of your water heater once a quarter and that will help reduce build up.
Angie's 4 tips for hiring a company to install a water
heater:
· Stay cool: The need
for a water heater replacement generally arises when the hot water stops
flowing, making it an emergency situation. Rather than hire the first company
you find in the yellow pages, take an hour to call around and compare prices.
If you can hold out until normal business hours, you will avoid the after-hours
emergency service charge.
· Consider the options:
Talk to the companies about new innovations and systems that could
increase your energy efficiency. Spending a little more on the unit may pay off
in monthly energy savings if you plan to be in your home for 5 or more years.
· Don't over invest:
If you plan to sell your home in the near future, don't spend a lot on a
fancy system. A water heater is considered standard when purchasing a home. Like
furnaces and roofs, a new water heater may be appealing to potential buyers,
but it's probably not going to increase your asking price.
· Understand the process:
Replacing a water heater can be cumbersome and involve many gallons of
water. Make sure you know how it will be done. The units are very heavy and
navigating small staircases can cause damage to your home. Check that your
company is insured to cover any damages.
4 ways to increase water heater efficiency:
· Use low-flow faucets and shower heads throughout your home
to decrease the amount of water, and energy, used. This will make your tank of
hot water go farther.
· Check that your water heater tank and pipes are properly
insulated. But, don't cover the tank thermostat.
· Lower your water heater base temperature to 120 degrees.
Your shower will still be steamy and you will save energy on heating the water.
· Drain a quart of water from your water heater tank every 3
months to remove sediment that slows down heat transfer and lowers the efficiency
of your heater. Follow the proper steps suggested by your manufacturer since the
type of tank you have can determine the best procedure.
