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Frugal and Energy Efficient Living

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts) Fri Jan 6, 2012, 09:20 AM Jan 2012

Put a switch on my electric water heater, now I only turn it before I'll need really hot water.. [View all]

One good tank (mine is only 10 gallons) stays warm for most of the day for purposes like hand washing and rinsing greasy dishes, it takes about 25 minutes for the water to warm all the way so between my shower and the rest of my hot water use I have the switch on about an hour a day on average.

It was really pretty easy, I broke one leg of the circuit going to my water heater, spliced in some Romex (house wiring) with some wire nuts and ran it to the switch I have mounted on the side of my kitchen counter. I happened to have a salvaged high grade wall switch I used but any switch rated for the voltage and amperage would have worked.

Romex...

Wire nut..

I also used a residential junction box for the switch..

21 replies

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Highlight:

Put a switch on my electric water heater, now I only turn it before I'll need really hot water.. [View all] Fumesucker Jan 2012 OP

Why not get an instantaneous (tankless) water heater? n/t FSogol Jan 2012 #1

This seems a cheaper solution than replacing a perfectly good water heater. canoeist52 Jan 2012 #2

Ok, I'll rephrase. When your tank controls/element break from being turned on/off FSogol Jan 2012 #4

Water heaters routinely cycle on and off anyway.. Fumesucker Jan 2012 #8

Two reasons... Fumesucker Jan 2012 #3

We use these for remote sinks, lavs FSogol Jan 2012 #5

Is there somewhere online where you can do a calculation Ruby the Liberal Jan 2012 #6

How many gallons is your water heater? Fumesucker Jan 2012 #7

40 and its not climate controlled. Ruby the Liberal Jan 2012 #9

You might want to check the temperature of the hot water from the closest faucet to your tank.. Fumesucker Jan 2012 #10

Thank you! Ruby the Liberal Jan 2012 #16

Tankless makes sense in a climate where one must run the air conditioner for a lot of the year Kolesar Jan 2012 #17

Fumesucker is correct kristopher Jan 2012 #18

I can do that. Ruby the Liberal Jan 2012 #19

Good for you. This will save both electricity and most likely reduce your use cbayer Jan 2012 #11

Creative frugality. silverweb Jan 2012 #12

Kudos. Used the same system for a year or so. Spartan. dimbear Jan 2012 #20

Not bad at all. silverweb Jan 2012 #21

How long have you been on this system? Curmudgeoness Jan 2012 #13

I only did it a couple of weeks ago.. Fumesucker Jan 2012 #14

I will be interested to hear how much savings you have. Curmudgeoness Jan 2012 #15