pullout switch as water heater on/off


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Old 05-01-09, 09:58 AM
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pullout switch as water heater on/off

I'm renting an apartment temporarily, and would like to turn off the [newly installed] electric hot water heater when I'm away to save energy and $. The house is old and has a fusebox, but they installed what I take to be an AC disconnect pullout switch (Midwest Electric model U065P) for the water heater.

btw, I already turned down the temp on the water heater to ~125 degrees, which is how I learned about the pullout switch.

Here's my question: is it reasonable to use the pullout switch to routinely turn the water heater on and off? Just wondering if I'll "wear it out" prematurely by doing that.

Also -- and this is more an energy efficiency question -- does it make sense to turn off the water heater when I'm away at work during the day and/or maybe overnight, or only when I go away for a few days? Not sure if I'd use more energy re-heating the water in the tank than I'd save by not keeping it hot all day/night. (If I owned the place, I'd go tankless!)

If this makes any difference re my 2nd question, I'm a one-person household, the apt. does not have a dishwasher or washing machine, and the water heater is a 45-gal model w/ estimated annual energy usage of 4773 kwh per yellow sticker.

If I were living here longer, I'd have a timer installed, but I'm only renting the place for 4 months!

Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise.
 
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Old 05-01-09, 10:05 AM
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A lot of people don't really think timers help much in terms of energy usage for newer well insulated water heaters. They do though add cost and at some point you'll end up in a cold shower. Newer water heaters have enough insulation to keep them warm throughout the day with minimal reheating of the already hot water.

As for turning off the water heater for extended periods of time (weeks) then of course the energy efficient answer is to turn it off. Personally, I wouldn't bother turning off the heater over the weekend as I can't imagine it costing that much to keep the water hot for 2 days of no use. Plus, I'm sure I'll forget to turn it back on when I get back, and I probably won't want to wait the 2-4 hours to reheat.

For your other question about using the pullout, I see no reason not to use it. In the span of 4 months (or 4 years) there won't be that much use to wear it out. If it were something that you were turning it on and off a few times a day, you might have premature wear...
 
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Old 05-01-09, 06:01 PM
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Off topic of your original question turning down the temperature of the water heater is safer but doesn't save much if any but does mean you have less hot water to use before it runs cold. Almost all home use of water requires mixing with cod water with the hot. At a higher temp you use less hot water from the tank and more cold so you end up with more available hot water.
 
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Old 05-01-09, 06:47 PM
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An electric water heater can be 30% of an electric bill!

So yes, turning it off can save quite a bit, but...

The thing is you use warm water rather than hot for most of your water use, then hot for showers. This is the savings.

And take fewer showers, wash clothes in cold water, wash dishes in warm water, wash hands in warm water.

By turning it on/off, you can get the water heater to have a tank full of warm water and use that for a couple of days.

Then to take a shower the next day, turn it on for about 45 minutes or an hour prior to the shower. Then you will have hot water for the shower. Turn it off after the shower (might want to do this after you have dried yourself off! )

A hot water heater will hold warm water all day long. So the warm water left in the water heater after your shower can be used that night without having to turn on the water heater at all! And it will possibly still be warm the next day!

So you might be able to get away with just running the water heater for 1 hour every other day. Depends on the size of the tank, how much water you use, and how many people in the house. (If teenage girls, forget about it!)

As to saving money on electricity, those who "throw pennies away" will never get it. Many little things add up to bigger amounts. What is $1? Well a dollar a day is $365 a year. Many of these people would have a fit if they had to pay $365 on their taxes. But have no problem wasting $1 a day! All the same to me! (I can add...)

Further energy saving tips here...
(On "parasitic loads" - Switch off that stereo!)
http://enduse.lbl.gov/info/ACEEE-Leaking.pdf
 
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Old 05-01-09, 06:59 PM
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Well in my part of the country and many others the best way to save money is to install a gas water heater.
 
 

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