Heating the water for your home takes a sizable chunk of your energy dollars, but with water heater insulation, you can reduce the amount of fuel it uses, and the amount of money you spend. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that insulating your water heater can reduce standby losses by 25 to 45 percent, which makes the small expense and effort involved with adding insulation worth consideration.
If your water-heater tank feels warm to the touch, chances are water heater insulation could help lower your energy bills, particularly during the cold Indianapolis winters. Fortunately, these blankets are readily available at hardware or home-improvement stores. An electric water heater is easy to insulate, although gas or oil tanks are more complex because they need adequate venting for combustion and carbon-monoxide removal.
Before purchasing a water-heater insulation blanket, write down the gallons your heater holds, and its height and approximate circumference. Most water-heater blankets can be custom fit, but the closer you get to its actual size makes the project easier. The kits may come with adhesive tape that secures the jacket to the water heater, with instructions about cutting out an opening for the thermostat. If you’re not familiar with gas appliances, an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) or gas-company technician can assist you.
After applying the jacket, turn down your water heater to at least 120 degrees, which helps you save energy and keeps the wiring inside and around the tank cooler. Since you’re adding insulation, temperatures will be warmer, which can hurt the wiring if it gets too hot. Lowering the temperature also reduces the hard-water deposits that form inside water-heater tanks, which will increase its life and efficiency.
Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing can answer all of your water-heater questions, and can install insulation on your gas or oil water heaters. Please contact us if you’d like help with this project or any other plumbing, heating or cooling job around your home. We’ve proudly served customers in Indianapolis for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
