« Solar Power – Is It Right For You? | Home | How Does Solar Electric Power Work »
Home Energy Conservation Challenge – Week 3
By Solar energy | February 25, 2009
Home Energy Conservation Challenge – Week 3
Welcome to this week’s Home Energy Conservation Challenge! If you’re here for the first time, you can find how this challenge works here.
If you’ve participated in the first two (2) weeks and taken the action steps, you should know or have these four (4) things:
1. How many kilowatt-hours your home use last year,
2. The average kilowatt-hours per month last year,
3. How much energy your refrigerator uses (measured by your kil-a-watt meter
4. A refrigerator running as efficiently as possible
Let’s start today’s challenge with a simple analogy.
In today’s techy world, more and more people make electronic payments. We each use electronic payments for different reasons. Electronic payments can help us manage and control our finances, reduce paper, avoid identify theft, save money, and save time.
One of the reason electronic payments work so well for us is that they can be put on autopilot. Once our electronic payments are scheduled, they happen without us thinking about them.
Today’s energy conservation strategy is one strategy that can be put on autopilot and work without you having to constantly think about it.
Today our topic is Hot Water.
If you have an electric water heater, here are three (3) strategies to help your water heater run efficiently – on autopilot.
1. Lower your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. This is warm enough for daily hot water use at home. This minimum setting reduces energy demand on the tank and reduces the excess heat given off by the water heater itself.
2. Install a timer on your water heater. An electric water heater timer allows you have hot water when you need it. It automatically heats water when you want it and turns it off when you don’t. A good, affordable timer is the Intermatic WH21 Electric Water Heater Timer
At our house, we have the timer scheduled to heat water 3 hours in the morning and then again 3 hours in the evening. With this schedule, we have plenty of hot water available for everyday use.
The only time we ran low on hot water was when we had houseguests during the holidays. So while they were here we turned the timer off.
When you set your timer to heat water depends on your family size and routine. In the beginning, try setting your timer to heat water two or three hours each morning and/or evening. If you find you run out of hot water, adjust the schedule. Make adjustments till you get a schedule that works well for your family.
If you will be away from home more than two days, turn the water heater off completely. There’s no need to heat water when no one is there to use it!
3. Water Heater Maintenance: Hot water heater’s need maintenance as well. Flush the tank every six months. This is easy enough for the do-it-yourself types. If you are the do-it-yourself type, you can find simple instructions here. If you’d rather have an expert do it, check with your local home improvement store. Places like Lowes offers water heater maintenance as a service.
Take Action:
1. Lower your water heater thermostat setting to 120 degrees
2. Purchase and install a water heater timer on your electric water heater
3. Flush the tank of your water heater yourself or have an expert do it for you.
4. Schedule your next water heater maintenance and put it on your home maintenance calendar
5. Notate implementation dates of these energy savings strategies in your excel sheet or on your calendar
Topics: Home Energy Conservation Challenge | No Comments »