Operating Your Home: Hot Water
Hot water systems can be one of the biggest energy consumers in your home, especially if you’ve got an old, inefficient unit.
In an ideal world, you’d upgrade your system to a highly efficient heat pump or even consider solar hot water systems. If that’s not on the cards for now, consider these tips so you can use hot water more efficiently to save precious energy and reduce costs.
First let’s look at the system itself:
You can lower the temperature on your hot water system to ensure you're not over heating the water. Set the temperature to 60°C if you've got a storage system or 50°C if its instantaneous.
If you go away, you can turn the entire system off. Just be sure to turn it back on at 60°C for at least 35 minutes before you use it again to kill any unfriendly bacteria.
Pressure Release Valve
At regular intervals, you should release the pressure relief valve on your hot water tank.
This is to maintain the system and ensure there isn’t too much pressure build up in your tank.
See your system’s manual for specific details for specific details around how often you should be doing this.
Showers
Showers are one of the major culprits when it comes to hot water consumption. There are 3 key ways to save on that precious hot water:
1 Turn down the flow
2 Turn down the temperature
3 Shorten your showers
Washing Up
Consider using lower temperatures on both your washing machine and dishwasher.
If you're washing dishes in the sink, use your plug and opt for colder water.
Hot tip: For all your mixer taps, always leave them in the cold position when off to avoid unintentional hot water use.