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A water heater plays a vital daily role in your home, delivering hot showers, loads of laundry and clean dishes. But you might not give much thought to this dependable workhorse — until it stops working.
On average, most water heaters last only about 10 to 15 years. And, unfortunately, a sudden leak is often the signal that it’s time to get a new one.
We can help you save energy and plan ahead for your next water heater.
Use hot water wisely
Set your electric water heater thermostat to 120 degrees.
(This is a good energy-efficient setting for many households; your preference may vary based on household size and other factors.) Most electric water heaters have two thermostats, and you’ll need to adjust both. See our step-by-step instructions for lowering the temperature (PDF) on an electric water heater. Natural gas water heaters have a dial thermostat with a range from “low” to “hottest.” You can run hot water at the kitchen sink and check the temperature with an instant-read cooking thermometer. If it’s too hot, adjust the dial and recheck. If you have an old dishwasher, it probably doesn’t have a water temperature booster, so you’ll need to leave your water heater at 140 degrees. But be careful because water that hot can scald.
Leaving town? Turn off your water heater.
Turn off your water heater at the electric breaker panel if you are going to be away for more than a few days. But don’t do this during freezing weather. (If it’s a natural gas water heater, just turn it to the “low” or “vacation” setting, but don’t turn it off.) Remember to turn the water heater back on when you return home and allow at least an hour for reheating.
Insulate accessible water pipes.
It is especially important to insultate the first 3 feet of pipes entering and leaving the water heater. Use correctly sized sleeves of pipe insulation or self-adhesive pipe-wrapping insulation tape.
Buy the right size water heater.
A 50-gallon water heater is usually big enough for households with up to four people. And the higher the EF — or energy factor — number on a water heater, the more efficient it is.
Other simple ways to save on water heating
- Wash laundry in cold water. Or at least choose warm wash/cold rinse.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Install high-efficiency showerheads and aerators.
- Fill the sink basin to shave. Don’t let the water run.
- Opt for showers. A quick shower uses less hot water than a full bath.
- Scrape dishes. If you have a newer dishwasher, it should be fine to simply scrape dishes instead of rinsing them before loading the dishwasher. Give it a try. If you must rinse, use cold water.
- Conduct regular maintenance. See water heater maintenance details on the Oregon Department of Energy website.