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Residential Hot Water Systems - Energy Saving Water Systems |
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The energy used to heat water for the home is often a major cost for many people. Some estimates suggest it can account for 25% of all utility costs over a month. This can vary depending on the time of year but making this system more efficient is a major way to save money. This article will touch on a couple of methods that may help you save money by making your home hot water system more efficient.
by AdrianFletcher
The energy used to heat water for the home is often a major cost for many people. Some estimates suggest it can account for 25% of all utility costs over a month. This can vary depending on the time of year but making this system more efficient is a major way to save money. This article will touch on a couple of methods that may help you save money by making your home hot water system more efficient.
Most homes have a water heater that is powered by electricity or gas. The general set up is a storage tank that holds a certain amount of water. In reality, the storage tank has an inner bottle, made of glass that is covered by insulation, to store the water. The metal casing protects the glass and insulation from damage or breakage.
At the bottom of the glass bottle will be a gas burner or an electric element. This is how the water is heated. These devices are generally controlled by a thermostat that will switch them on when the water drops to a certain temperature.
This system has a problem in that it will continually reheat water when it drops below a certain temperature.
If the water is not used, this heat is generally lost to the environment regardless of how much insulation is in the tank. This loss of heat has to be replaced by using electricity or gas, even if you don't use the hot water it creates.
Thus the cost of having hot water on tap (so to speak) is the constant running of the heating element or burner. This is a really inefficient way of heating water and there are alternatives.
The tankless water heater is the alternative to the traditional heater. It does as it name suggests and provides hot water on demand.
The key component of this system is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is still powered by traditional energy sources, like electricity or gas, but it is only activated when hot water is needed.
The water pipes are wound round the heat exchanger. As the water passes through the pipes to the faucet, the heat is transferred to the water giving instant hot water.
This type of system can reduce electricity or gas usage. However, it is generally more expensive than the other system but will last longer as it's not used as much.
Another alternative is to go solar. By adding solar power to your water heating system you can save a considerable amount on heating bills. Solar hot water systems really mean that they derive the energy from the Sun but the storage method is essentially the same.
There are two types of solar hot water systems. A passive system probably won't provide all your energy needs but can augment the use of electricity or gas thus saving you money on utility bills.
An active system uses solar panels to create electricity. This can be used to heat the water you use. An active solar power system with an efficient heating storage system can save you plenty on water heating bills.
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