There are many ways that you can cut down on your energy expenditures during winter here in New Mexico. The Department of Energy recommends people cover windows with special storm panels, take special caution in how they adjust their thermostats, seal all air leaks that lead to drafts, and keep their heating systems professionally maintained.
You may think that the plumbing in your home isn’t something that you can use to lower heating bills for the winter. But there is something you can do with your water heater that you may not have thought of.
Adjusting the Water Heater
You may not realize how much energy your water heater consumes. It’s a significant amount: around 18% of all the energy of any kind that your home uses. If you can find a way to use less energy with the water heater, it will make a significant shift in your heating bills.
Taking shorter showers and finding other ways to use less heated water, in general, will help, of course. But you can also make a simple adjustment to the system that will cut down on costs.
Your water heater has a control called an aquastat to maintain water temperature. (The adjustment of water temperature at the faucet comes from mixing this heated water with amounts of cold water.) The standard setting on the aquastat, the “hot” setting, is 140°F. But you can turn it down to the “warm” setting of 120°F. If you do this through the fall and winter, it will lower energy costs during the season—and also prevent accidents with scalding.
However, if you have an old or malfunctioning water heater, this won’t make a difference. So make certain that you call on our water heater repair experts if you think there’s trouble with your system. This will see that you save money and have a reliable supply of hot water through the winter.
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