Water Heater Helped by Insulation

QUESTION: I don’t want to replace my old water heater yet, but I would like to cut my water heating costs. What can I do to make my old water heater more efficient without spending a lot of money on it?

ANSWER: Making low-cost improvements to your gas or electric water heater is well worth the expense. A water heater is typically responsible for about 20% of your monthly utility bill. For example, a family of four can spend more than $200 a year to operate an electric water heater.

Although you may not realize it, your old water heater wastes 10% to 15% of the heat through stand-by losses. This is heat lost through the tank walls and pipes into the surrounding air of your utility room or basement.

There are several simple ways to reduce stand-by losses. You can install inexpensive pipe nipple fittings, known as heat traps, in the water heater inlet and outlet pipes. These stop wasteful circulation of hot water right above your water heater. Touch these water pipes and feel how much warmer they are than the other water pipes.

Because hot water is less dense than cold water, it tends to rise in the inlet and outlet pipes at the top of the tank. As a result, a continuous, and wasteful, circulation takes place. The hot water slowly rises into the copper pipes, cools off, and sinks back into the tank.

A glass ball in the hot water outlet heat-trap fitting is just slightly heavier than water. When you are not using hot water, the ball gently sinks against a seat in the heat-trap fitting. This blocks the water circulation. When you turn on a hot water faucet, the water pressure lifts the ball off its seat and the hot water flows freely through.

The inlet cold water heat trap has a small plastic ball that is slightly lighter than water. It floats up against a seat to block circulation. The ball is moved by water pressure when you turn on the faucet. A plastic collar in the heat trap reduces corrosion of the pipes and tank.

Most older water heaters, and some new ones, lack adequate tank insulation. Adding a tank insulation jacket can really help. There is a new insulation jacket available that uses thin radiant reflective foil bubble insulation. Standard fiberglass batt tank jackets are more bulky, but very effective.

For zero cost, you can make your own insulation jacket from extra wall batt insulation you may have. There is a simple bent-coat-hanger method to make support hooks to hold the insulation in place. This is very important, especially with a gas water heater, because you must not block the air inlet.

Finally, use the drain outlet near the bottom of the tank to drain a few gallons from the bottom of the tank every two months. This removes sediment.

You can write to me at the address below for Utility Bills Update No. 059 listing addresses and telephone numbers of manufacturers of heat-trap fittings, reflective foil and standard tank insulation jackets, product information, cost-cutting tips, and do-it-yourself instructions and diagrams for making your own coat hanger hook insulation jacket. Please include $1.50 and a self-addressed business-size envelope.

Getting More Light From Window Wells

Q: The back of our house is built into a small grade. Several of the windows are in window wells and they don’t let in much light. What can we do to so we don’t have to turn on as many lamps?

A: One method that works well is to paint the inside of the window well with white enamel paint. Cover the bottom of the window well with crushed white rock. This reflects much more of the natural light into your windows. Cover the window well with an inexpensive domed clear plastic cover.