Water Heater Help

[Chris]

The water heater in my apartment is located in a closet with a relatively thin door right off my balcony. On cold days it has a very hard time keeping the water hot and we've seen a noticeable difference in our energy bill this winter even though we rarely use the indoor heater. I'm curious if there is anything I can do to increase the performance of my water heater or get it to use less energy. I've heard about water heater jackets. I'm not sure if my water heater is a standard size, do they come in different sizes? Do they work? And if so where can I find them?

[Charlie at Homeworx]

Water heater jackets are simply pieces of insulation with "jacket" coverings made to wrap around water heaters to increase insulation of the tank. They don't make your hot water any hotter, but they might decrease the heat loss from the water heater and lower your hot water costs slightly, especially if the heater is in a cold closet or area. They are available at hardware stores with instructions, and they are "one size fits all" in nature. (You might have to modify it slightly according to the instruction to fit your water heater, but it will probably fit if there is at least one or two inches of space all the way around your water heater.) Although they can help a little, don't expect "miracle" energy reductions from a water heater jacket, but they are fairly cheap and cost effective over a longer time period.

The best way to reduce the energy used by your hot water tank is to keep the tank temperature reasonably moderate, 120-125 degrees F., and reduce your use of hot water as much as possible (1.5 gallon per minute shower heads for showering, cold water laundry, and prudent use of hot water for all other purposes)