| Home energy efficiency is critical to saving money | | | | tank less heater, that if place correctly in the |
| and helping the environment. While you can't | | | | system, is quicker hot water to where you want |
| determine whether the electricity you use is | | | | it. No more waiting in the shower for the hot |
| alternative energy or fossil fuel generated you | | | | water to get there. One other action item that |
| can do much to make sure you use as little as | | | | saves money is to lower the temperature setting |
| possible and save yourself some money in the | | | | on your tank heater. This improves efficiency only |
| process. If you breakdown the energy | | | | marginally, but can save money. |
| consumption in your home, energy is consumed in | | | | In a typical home, cleaning means our personal |
| four main areas: water, heating, cooling, and | | | | hygiene as well as our dishes and clothes. Now |
| appliances for normal daily living. In this article we | | | | that we have efficient hot water flowing to these |
| will focus on your water system. We will focus on | | | | areas, what can we do in each to help improve its |
| the other areas in follow-up articles. | | | | efficiency? With bathing, conserve is still the rule. |
| The first rule of energy efficiency is...conserve. | | | | To do this, install low flow shower heads and |
| This doesn't mean do with less. It means do more | | | | faucets into your kitchen and bath showers, tubs |
| with what you have. That is the definition of | | | | and sinks. There are many styles available today |
| efficiency...more out for what you put in. So, how | | | | and they are not difficult to install. |
| can we use less water and get all our comforts | | | | For clothes, if you have an older washing machine |
| and save money. Let's break it down. Water is | | | | (say over six years) then replacing it with a more |
| used in our homes for cooking, cleaning, bathing | | | | modern device can save you money as the |
| and drinking. | | | | newer sensors and higher efficiency motors |
| Hot water is used in all these functions and should | | | | reduce both consumption and energy load. Older |
| be our first area of focus. If your home is like | | | | dishwashers are very energy inefficient. They lack |
| most, the hot water is supplied through an electric | | | | the sensors or modern dishwashers and |
| or gas type tank water heater. These are very | | | | therefore use more water and clean to a lower |
| inefficient. To make them more efficient you | | | | quality than older automatic dishwashing machines. |
| should purchase an insulation blanket for your hot | | | | While it doesn't really save water, allowing your |
| water heater and put pipe or tubing type insulation | | | | dishes to air dry or be dried without heat saves |
| on all the hot water lines leading from your water | | | | money as well. |
| heater to the outlets of each line. | | | | While not a completely exhaustive list, if you do |
| The next step up in efficiency but requiring a | | | | one or all of the action items above you will find |
| small capital outlay is to do away with your old | | | | your home's energy efficiency improved without |
| tank heater and install a tank less water heater. | | | | any reduction in convenience. In fact, convenience |
| These make hot water when you need it which | | | | can be improved and you save money...a real |
| eliminates all the heating and holding of water for | | | | winner for everyone. |
| when you don't need it. Another advantage of a | | | | |