Most of any household’s energy costs go to heating water, especially since the water heaters constantly heat water whether it is used or not. However, a substantial amount of is wasted when the heat is lost to the surrounding air, an occurrence known as standby heat loss. Therefore, keeping this from happening should be on your to-do list.
Insulating your water heater and reachable water pipes will not only reduce standby energy losses by 25% to 45% (4-9% in heating cost) but also keep 300 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere in the course of a year. And it could not be easier. Most hardware stores sell water heater insulating kits you can purchase for $10-20, which will repay for itself in a matter of few months. You should look for one with an insulating value of at least 8.
Before you go searching for an insulation kit, you should probable check what your water heater tank’s R-value is since anything around R-24 does not need any insulation. You can check your tank’s R-value by simply touching it. If it feels warm to the touch, then it needs additional insulation.
And lastly, make sure you get the proper insulation kit for your water heater tank depending whether it is electric or gas. If you decide to install it yourself, make sure you follow instruction very carefully, especially with the gas heaters. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you may want to consider hiring a professional.
