How Summer Affects Your Water Heater

One of the best ways to beat the heat each summer is to hang out at your air-conditioned home. The only problem is that this can get pretty expensive! Running your AC all day and all night drives up your energy bill, which can cost you a fortune each month. Luckily, there’s an easy way to offset the cost of your high energy bill: lower the temperature on your water heater.

Whether you have a gas or electric water heater, turning it down is a great way to save money during the summer, when you might not need to take very hot showers so often. Continue reading to learn a little bit more about lowering your water heater temperature with help from a water heater service in Las Vegas, NV.

How much energy do hot water heaters use?

Your water heater doesn’t just use up energy when you turn on the hot water—it’s on 24/7, keeping your water at your desired temperature. Though staying on all the time ensures you’ll always have hot water, this can be costly. In fact, water heaters are the second biggest users of electricity in your home, and account for 18 percent of energy usage.

How much can I save?

How much you save each month depends on a variety of factors, including how much hot water you use, the size of your tank and even the age of your water heater. Obviously, the more hot water you use, the higher your bill will be. The larger your tank, the more energy will be required to heat the water, and the older your water heater, the less energy-efficient your unit is. In any case, experts say you can save up to 10 percent on your energy bill each month by lowering the temperature. That might not sound like a lot, but it can really add up to significant savings over the course of the summer.

How do I lower the temperature?

Now that we know how effective lowering the temperature on your water heater can be, it’d be helpful to actually know how to do it. Luckily, it’s as easy as can be! There’s a dial that you just have to turn down to adjust the temperature. Before you do that, though, make sure you get a baseline of the current temperature. Fill a glass with water from the faucet that’s the farthest away from your water heater, and use a thermometer in the glass to get an accurate reading of how hot the water currently is. After you’ve lowered the temperature with the dial, wait 24 hours for the water that’s currently in your tank to cycle through.

If you’d rather have a professional turn the temperature down for you, be sure to give a water heater service in Las Vegas, NV a call. One of our experts at Orchard Plumbing will gladly make a trip to your home to adjust the temperature on your water heater. While we’re at your house, we can also inspect your water heater to ensure everything is working the way it should be. An inspection is the best way to guarantee that your hot water works throughout the year, so be sure to schedule an appointment today!