Your hot water affects everything from doing dishes to taking showers to washing your clothes. If your water heater doesn’t run efficiently or reliably, it’ll reduce your everyday comfort. Fortunately, there are several tips you can use to enhance the unit’s overall performance for better comfort and lower utility bills.
Install a Hot Water Recirculation System
When you first turn on a faucet or shower head and wait for the water to warm up, this can waste several gallons of water and energy. With a demand-controlled hot water recirculation system installed, the cool water will get moved back to the water heater so the hot water reaches the fixture faster. This means less water and energy waste and less time you have to wait for hot water.
Install a Thermostatic Mixing Valve
Taking a relaxing shower can be quickly interrupted when someone else in the home turns on a faucet or flushes a toilet. If you’re tired of the temperature change that occurs when this happens, whether it’s a sudden blast of cold or hot water, you should consider having a thermostatic mixing valve installed. This device blends the hot and cold water so you don’t have to deal with sudden temperature fluctuations.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes to Get Hot Water Faster
As hot water sits in your water heater tank, it loses heat, which wastes energy when the unit has to reheat the water. The same thing happens to the water in your hot water supply lines. If you have those lines insulated, they will retain more heat, leading to less energy waste and faster hot water at your fixtures. This is especially beneficial for pipes running through your basement, crawl space, or garage.
Upgrade to a Smart Water Heater With App Controls
Installing a water heater with smart controls let you monitor your energy use, change the water temperature, and even receive maintenance alerts. If the unit is starting to fail, you’ll receive a notification to schedule an inspection right away. This can help you save money because you can have the problem fixed before it results in a complete system failure.
Upgrade Old Galvanized Hot Water Pipes That Restrict Flow
Galvanized hot water pipes accumulate heavy buildup from mineral deposits and internal corrosion throughout the years, which restricts the flow of hot water and reduces the pressure. By replacing the old pipes with more modern material, like PEX or copper, the fixtures will receive hot water faster, and the water heater will operate more efficiently because it no longer has to push water through partially blocked pipes.
These are just a few ways to update your home to enjoy better everyday comfort. Chatting with a licensed plumber is a smart move for exploring other ways to optimize your water heater and pipes for smoother day-to-day performance. If you live in Ormond Beach, FL or a surrounding area and need water heater services, make your first call to Andy’s Plumbing.
