Posted on Jan 3, 2013 | 1 comment

If you turn on the tap or shower and hot water pours out many home owners don’t give a second thought regarding their homes water heater.  Yet, the moment something goes wrong and hot water stops flowing it is amazing how quickly the water heater becomes incredibly important.

Water heating is the second largest energy drain in your home.  We live in an emerging era of conservation and the best way to make fast improvements is to pick off the low hanging fruit.  Reaping the biggest gain with the least amount of effort is key.  If your furnace is more than 12 years old one hundred percent I would recommend you start there.  Next, as mentioned, your water heater is number 2 on the list of energy consumption.  But what can you do to improve its efficiency?

Ways To Improve Water Heater Efficiency

• Water Heater Blanket – you can buy one at home depot and it will save you a bit of money every year on energy cost but realistically it is just a band aid solution, if money is tight it is definitely better than nothing.
• New Water Tank – Your conventional water heater loses 2 percent a year due to calcium and lime build up inside the tank, it quickly clings to heating elements acting as insulation reducing efficiency.  A conventional tank starts out life at 60 percent efficiency, 8-10 years max on a conventional tank.
• Hybrid Tank Systems – These systems uses a conventional tank, 50 gallons or so and use energy much more efficiently.  The hybrid tank can be between 90 and 95 percent efficient and are of a much higher build quality.  They can easily reduce water heating bills by hundreds of dollars a year.
• Tankless Systems – They heat water on demand and only when you need it, this simple idea can save you hundreds of dollars a year.  In addition a tankless system is upwards of 98 percent efficient and can provide endless hot water. 

Your home is expensive to run and maintain but simply just waiting until something breaks is probably not the best or most cost effective plan.  Try to be a little proactive in 2013 and pick of the easy upgrades that give you the best cost to benefit savings.

By Ryan Blicks

Ryan has been working in the HVAC industry for numerous years and has a degree in civil engineering.  If you are in the greater Toronto area and have any questions regarding your home you can reach him at (647) 925-1930 or feel free to send him a message via this form.