Help! How much does turning off the water heater actually save?

[Jenniflower]

I'm curious as to what your experiences have been in turning off the water heater every day during the times you aren't home/not using the hot water.

Does it actually save enough money to make it worthwhile?
I've heard that most water heaters only run about 3 hours every day, but I could be wrong.

Also, since the water would have cooled down, then the heater has to heat it all over again.

I've heard people say it saves a lot of money on your utility bill, but others say it doesn't really. Tell me what your experience has been!

[disneysteve]

The answer is the same as when people ask about turning down the thermostat.

It takes less energy to heat the water from room temperature than it does to keep it heated all day long.

Think of it this way. Let's say that once a day you use boiling water to make a cup of tea. Would it be more energy efficient to boil the water right when you wanted it or would you keep a pot of water boiling on the stovetop 24/7?

[simpleyme]

you can buy a timer to put on your water heater so it will turn off and on automatically, that way you do not have to try to remember to turn it off and on all the time

[Aleta]

Steve: That was a great example. Thanks! I notice alot of difference when I turn mine off. My electric company installed an on-call program and at the same time attached a switch on top of my water heater. After your last bath or shower at night, turn it off. You still will have hot water in there the next day. It only takes about 20 minutes to heat it up.

Also, when we leave out for a couple of days; we turn the AC all the way up so it won't turn on. It takes very little time to cool down the house especially if you come home in the late afternoon or evening.

[Jenniflower]

thanks!

Thanks for your comments so far!
I loved the example you gave, Steve, as well as everyone elses comments. It really makes sense! I think I'll start turning my hot water heater off when I'm not home. (which is most of the day!) I can't wait to see our next utility bill!

[disneysteve]

We don't turn ours off (except during vacations) because we use hot water throughout the day for bathing, dish washing, laundry, etc. If I lived by myself, it might be practical, but with 3 of us in the house, it just doesn't make sense.

[PrincessPerky]

Every time someone mentions turning the water off I want to point out some health risks associated with not having the water hot enough to kill bacterial all the time. Since it is heated it cools to a nice warm bath for lots of organisms.

You can Google a few news stories yourself, but one way to think of it is to look at Steve's cup of tea..would you leave the water on all the time sitting out? most of us would go get a fresh cup from the tap, your hot water heater isn't closed/cool like a tap.

If you did leave the water out all day you would prolly make certain it boiled before you drank it....but your water heater doesn't boil the water before you take a shower with it....

Not saying you can't, just saying you might want to look into all the risks as well as the cost savings.

[Ima saver]

I have kept mine turned off most of the time for the past 30 years. We even put a built in switch in every house my husband bills, so it is easier to turn off. I have saved a bundle and use that money to put in my $20 challenge. I only turn it on 20 minutes before a shower or running the dishwasher!

[Hot dog]

I am going on vacation for a couple of weeks It is safe to turn it off for that long right?? I just unplug it?

[krayziebone33]

The answer is the same as when people ask about turning down the thermostat.

It takes less energy to heat the water from room temperature than it does to keep it heated all day long.

Think of it this way. Let's say that once a day you use boiling water to make a cup of tea. Would it be more energy efficient to boil the water right when you wanted it or would you keep a pot of water boiling on the stovetop 24/7?

So Steve, are you saying it is better to turn the AC unit off during the day when nobody is home? My roommate and I have been having this debate for a month now and he wants to leave it on a constant run all day because he feels it costs more when he has to turn it back on at night because the generator works harder to cool the apartment. What do you think?

[Aleta]

I think that it depends when you turn the AC back on. If you do it in the evening, the house won't be as hot. I don't turn my off, I turn it all the way up so that it won't come on. I have found that when I do this that I save alot of AC. I don't know about totally turning off the AC. I have heard that it's not a good idea. I had a friend that swore that her AC worked fine until she did that. The repairman said that sometimes things run well as long as they are running and if there is a problem that it becomes more of a problem when it has been turned off and has to start up again.

[disneysteve]

So Steve, are you saying it is better to turn the AC unit off during the day when nobody is home?

Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying.

I don't turn my off, I turn it all the way up so that it won't come on.

Same thing. Whether or not you actually switch it off doesn't matter if the temp is set high enough that it won't come on.

That said, however, there is another factor to consider regarding AC that doesn't apply for heat and that is humidity. Allowing your home to get too humid (which is part of what AC takes care of) can promote mold and mildew growth and can also affect wood furniture, floors, etc. It may be better to just turn up the temp to 80 or 82 so that the AC does run occasionally to suck out the moisture.

[Aleta]

Steve: I understand what you are saying but there are some here that think that you have to turn the AC off. When you turn it off - its off. When you turn the thermostat on, the AC isn't totally turned off.. At least that's the way an AC guy explained it to me.

You're right about the humidity and the computers and all. They are better off in a cooler environment.

[disneysteve]

Steve: I understand what you are saying but there are some here that think that you have to turn the AC off. When you turn it off - its off. When you turn the thermostat on, the AC isn't totally turned off.

When the thermostat is on, the unit does draw some power in standby mode, just like your tv does when it is turned off. So yes, turning it completely off will save even more power. I wasn't thinking of that.

I also wasn't thinking of computers and other electronics. You're right. High humidity is bad for those devices also.

[Ima saver]

I would not unplug the hot water heater. i would go to the switch box and turn it off. On my a/c, I just set it on about 80 when I am not home. Your a/c does not run all winter long. I have central heat and air.