Apartment Therapy Re-Nest | Simple Green: Turn Down the Water Heater

Simple Green: Turn Down the Water Heater

Want to save 10 percent on your heating bill?

Since water heaters guzzle energy--and moolah--you can save loads by simply dialing down the knob. Water tanks store a supply of water, using energy to keep water hot and ready to go for your AM shower. Dropping it 20 degrees, from 140 to 120, and you can returns of 5-10 percent on your heating bill. Much better than throwing money down the drain!

Or, if you're in the market for a new one, tankless water heaters are a great, green option since water isn't stored.

photo: via stockxchang/desertsnow

Comments (3)

be careful- Canadian studies have shown that this can be dangerous, and that water at 120 degrees can harbour legionella bacteria.

"In 2000, the Walkerton disaster had sent a wake-up call about the safety of Canada’s drinking water. While standards for domestic hot water must consider scald prevention, they must also address the broad spectrum of public health and safety issues. To minimize bacteria contamination, water must be stored at 60 C (140F) or higher.

For example, temperatures under 50 C may increase the risk of Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia, due to bacterial growth in the tank. That disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which live in water. Temperature is a critical factor for Legionella to grow. The risk of colonization in hot water tanks is significant between 40 and 50 C.

Legionella bacteria most often enter the lungs due to aspiration. (Aspiration means choking such that secretions in the mouth bypass the choking reflexes and enter the lung.) Drinking contaminated water is not a major cause of Legionnaire’s disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 8,000 to 18,000 Americans contract the disease annually. Five to 30 percent of the cases are fatal. While Canada has no national statistics, Hydro-Québec says about 100 people a year are hospitalized in that province for pneumonia caused by contaminated residential water heaters."

http://www.safety-council.org/info/home/hotwater.html

posted by lloydalter on February 20th 2009 at 3:32pm
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I also have one of these eye-sores in my bathroom, does anyone have any creative (!) ideas on how to conceal it? Please? I really need help on this one, I've actually started talking to it that's how much I hate it!

Eva

posted by EvaInNL on February 21st 2009 at 1:05pm
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I have a on gas demand water heater at my house. I love it because it saves a lot of energy by not heating the water all the time. The temperature stays constant which means you do not have to have it turned up so high that is could burn children. I also believe it is a water saving device as I do not have to run the water as long to get it hot.

posted by Water Response on March 8th 2009 at 8:29pm
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