I got this tip from a posting on MHU’s website and it’s a great idea.
You can buy a programmable timer for 220 appliances that will shut them off and turn them on according to your needs. HD sells a 7 day programmable device made by GE for $60 and it takes about 15 minutes to install. I’m putting this in all my homes and then advertising the energy savings - kind of important now that gas prices are headed back up. You would program it to turn your water heater on at 6 AM and off 2 hours later. Then it comes back on again around 5 PM and off by 10 PM. It could stay on all day Saturday and Sunday. The water heater won’t freeze up because it’s inside the home but there is no reason to keep it full of hot water all day when no-one is there to use it. The only problem I see is for the heaters in older homes that are accessed from outside. Here I wouldn’t use it in the winter but it could be used spring through fall. I couldn’t care less if people use it or not but it could encourage someone to make the buy decision.
I don’t see any downside to this device. Does anybody else?
Rolf
Wheat Hill