- Install aerators in faucets and low-flow shower heads that may reduce your hot water consumption by half.
- Repair leaky faucets and shower heads. A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month.
- Insulate your hot water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the tank thermostat(s).
- Lower the thermostat(s) on your water heater to 120°F. Electric water heaters often have two thermostats - one each for the upper and lower heating elements. These should be adjusted to the same level to prevent one element from doing all the work and wearing out prematurely.
- For electric water heaters, install a timer that can automatically turn the hot water off at night and on in the morning. A simple timer can pay for itself in less than a year.
- Install a heat trap above the water heater. A heat trap is a simple check valve or piping arrangement that prevents "thermosyphoning" - the tendency of hot water to rise up from the tank into the pipes - thereby lowering standby losses.
- Drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer and lowers the unit's efficiency.
- Take more showers than baths. Baths use the most hot water in an average household. You use 15 to 25 gallons of hot water for a bath and less than 10 gallons for a 5-minute shower.
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