Saving energy and money doesn't have to be hard. One simple change to your water heater temperature setting could save you up to ten percent on the water heating portion of your utility bill each and every month.
There are countless ways to lower the costs of energy each and every month in your home, but few of these ideas are as simple to implement as just lowering the temperature setting on your home's water heater. It has been estimated that a homeowner can save as much as five percent on the water heating portion of their utility bill for every ten degrees that they lower the water heater temperature setting.
Some manufacturers ship out their units with a temperature setting of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. While this will deliver some seriously hot water for your use, it is probably higher than most homes need and will waste a lot of energy in the process of heating it. Most homes function just fine at a setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and is a pretty good guide for you to follow. If you find that your needs are not being met at this setting, you can always change it back. There is one caveat to this bit of advice, if you are using a dishwasher in your home that does not have a built-in water heating booster, you may not get the best cleaning at a lower setting and have no real choice but to leave the setting at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Every water heater is different and you will need to read your owner's manual for the details of how to make this temperature adjustment to your particular unit. As a general rule, gas and electric units will have the thermostats located in different areas. You will usually be able to locate the thermostat dial near the gas valve for gas-powered water heaters that utilize a tank design for holding water. Electric units will often have the thermostat located in an area that is protected by an access panel that requires a screwdriver to access. Some electric-powered units could even have two temperature control units, one for each of the heating elements in the unit.
If you decide to experiment with your thermostat settings, be sure to do so in a safe manner. Before beginning any adjustments, make sure that the power to the unit has been turned off. You risk serious injury if you start making adjustments to a unit that has electricity powered on.
One thing you will need to do is test the setting after you make an adjustment. The dials on most water heaters do not have a good track record of accuracy. So, be sure to go to a faucet or shower as far away from the unit as you can find and see if the water feels hot enough. If not, make another slight adjustment to the thermostat and test again until you get the desired temperature.
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