Michele Gastl
Hot Water
Wrap your tank and pipes. Go to your basement or utility closet
and put your hand on the hot-water tank. If it feels warm, heat is
radiating into the air, not your water. Hardware stores and home
centers sell insulating-blanket kits. They cost about $14 at Home
Depot, are easy to install, and can shave 10 percent off
water-heating costs. While you're at it, wrap exposed hot-water
pipes (pipe insulation costs 8 cents to 20 cents a foot,
depending on thickness) to prevent the water from losing its heat
as it travels along cool pipes.
Turn the temperature down. Your water heater should be set no
higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In many older water heaters,
the setting may be as high as 140, which is a waste of energy
(most people shower at 105 degrees) and could also damage your
plumbing. (Hotter water makes the internal fittings of the heater
corrode faster, shortening its life span.) By lowering the
temperature from 140 to 120, you can cut your hot-water bill by 10
percent.
