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Old 06-03-2008, 03:48 PM   #6 (permalink)
ZachUA
Beefy
 
Join Date: May 2008
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that stinks about the boxes. I may turn everything off for the short time I take putting the timer in.

Tony, here is some good info I found today:

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/waterheaters.html

specifically these tips:

Quote:
1. (if your heater was made after 1998, it's probably not worth using a timer at all.) A timer for an old (pre-1998) heater will save about 25kWh/mo. for a family of two using 40 gallons a day with the heater off four to six hours a day, but only 14kWh/mo. for a family of four using 80 gallons a day.

2. Home improvement stores sell a special water heater blanket that you can put around your heater to help insulate it. This reduces energy use by 10-15% -- for a family of two, that's about 21kWh/mo., or $20/yr. at 8¢/kWh. The savings are only slightly less for a family of four.

3. When it's set on scalding hot you have to mix in cold water in your shower to lower the temperature, and why make your heater boil the water if you don't need it that hot? You can probably do with the temperature set to 120 degrees F or less.
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