According to the U.S. Department of Energy – the water heater in your home is the second greatest user of electricity of all of your electrical appliances.
We rarely think about that kind of stuff though because, not using hot water is not really an option in most homes.
For instance, you can’t really run your dishwasher using cold water and expect that your dishes will be clean when the cycle is done.
You also can’t expect that you will have a good day if you start the morning with an ice cold shower.
Hot water is essential to the proper function of your home and, to the overall efficiency of your day.
Whether you are washing a load of dirty towels, you need clean dishes for the morning breakfast routine, or you are giving the kids a bath before bed – hot water is an absolute must.
Unfortunately, hot water is also an absolute expense and, it might be pushing your budget a little over to always be using so much hot water.
Here are a few ways that you can make sure that your water heater is functioning at its most efficient – while still providing plenty of hot water for you and your family:
- First, as a homeowner you should know where your water heater is located in your home so that you can do a visual inspection every few months. Look for signs of rust, damage, and leaking. The sooner you can catch these malfunctions the better!
- Know where your water heater user’s manual is so that you know what make and model it is. This is helpful information when trying to diagnose what the cause of a problem is because you can research easier. Also, if your water heater is electric versus gas, the repair will be different
- Make sure that you know where the turn off valve is for your water heater. This is important for flooding or leaking because you can turn the water off to the water heater without having to turn the water off to your entire home.
If your water heater is showing signs of damage or, you would like to know how to improve water efficiency, make sure that you know these key pieces about your system.