View Single Post
Old 08-01-2022, 09:47 AM   #1
SailinAway
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 991
Thanks: 256
Thanked 280 Times in 169 Posts
Default Electric water heater: OK to turn it off?

It's August 1, the day the new electric rates begin. This month I'm going to experiment with ways to reduce water and electricity usage.

Electric water heater: I need very little hot water. In the summer cold showers would be OK. For washing dishes I can heat water on the stove. Laundry doesn't really require hot water. So I'm paying a lot to keep the water hot in the tank, but I get little return on that investment.

I believe my water heater is set at 120 degrees. I can't set it lower due to the risk of Legionnaire's disease (in fact on study found that the bacteria can grow at 136 degrees). Plan B: Turn off the hot water heater altogether so that cold water is drawn directly from the town water supply. Questions:

(1) How exactly would I do that?

(2) Will the standing water in the water heater cause any damage to the heater or other problems?

(3) When (if) I turn the water heater on in the winter, how would I ensure the safety of the water in the tank?
SailinAway is offline   Reply With Quote