Is turning the water heater off and only turning it on when you need it more cost efficient than leaving it on all the time?
Would this operation ( water heater off and on within 5-10 hrs.) damage the heating elements somehow?

Thank you,
RB

No, turning the breaker on and off will not harm the heating elements. It is debatable whether you are saving anything with the 5 to 10 hour time frame.

You will typically save energy with a time that is 2 days or more. If you have very light hot water loads, you could install a timer that can be set for different periods. We use this in a mountain house, on 2 hours a day and when we get there we just turn it to ON. However, these are not cheap so you have to figure your up front costs too.

So why do you keep it on, even for 2 hours a day, if you are not there Brian? Or do you go to the mountians ever couple days?

So why do you keep it on, even for 2 hours a day, if you are not there Brian? Or do you go to the mountians ever couple days?

We or our children are there weekly, it's only 1 hour from Woodstock, GA for us. Heading up tomorrow for 2 days to cool off. It's surprising how a well insulated tank keeps the water hot.

Brian's on to something here, Your savings would depend upon your demand. More usage would mean more cold water to heat up. Less usage would result in more warm water remaining in the tank. Why not take a month of shutting the heater 9off at times and compare the electric bill to one of the bills where it ran full time. Let us know the results. Good luck, Tom

No, turning the breaker on and off will not harm the heating elements. It is debateable whether or not you are saving anything with the 5 to 10 hour time frame.

Harold:
Thank you for your response…
I am reassured now since I have been doing it (turning W/Heater on/off.. ) for a while…..
Not too concern about saving energy within this time frame…as long as the W/heater works!!
RB

You will typically save energy with a time period that is 2 days or more. If you have very light hot water loads, you could install a timer that can be set for different periods. We use this in a mountain house, on 2 hours a day and when we get there we just turn it to ON. However, these are not cheap so you have to figure your up front costs too.


Thank you for your response…
I am reassured now since I have been doing it (turning W/Heater on/off.. ) for a while…..
Not too concern about saving energy within this time frame…as long as the W/heater works!!

We did that for about ten years in one house and then another ten years in another house with 3 people ( 2 adults and one child avg. 13 yrs old) the first ten years, and just 2 of us the second ten years.
The heater was only on for about two hours in the AM and maybe 3 hours in the PM. The first time I set it up I checked and recorded water temps and was amazed at how well just a normal tank produce still hot temps.
Had to turn it on to wash clothes and maybe one or two other things which became a routine and no problem at all. Savings were significant but can't remember a percentage, maybe 20 dollars permonth on an average 80 dollar bill.
I would like to be doing it now but have a propane water heater and not sure if that is possible or feasible.

I would like to be doing it now but have a propane water heater and not sure if that is possible or feasible. What are your concerns? Does your heater have a vacation setting? Back to you, Tom

Tom,
I don't even know if there is a vacation setting or not. I have experience in electrical work but am a greenhorn with propane. I will study the owner's manual a bit and get back to you. Thanks
PS The workers who installed the heater in the new home in 2002 (we purchased the house in 2006) knew even less than me about propane. I discovered about one year ago that they had never completed the hookup of the exhaust vent. All the parts had been loosely placed in the proper order on the top of the tank, but never assembled and tightened.

he workers who installed the heater in the new home in 2002 (we purchased the house in 2006) I discovered about one year ago that they had never completed the hookup of the exhaust vent. Are you saying you purchased a home that didn't have a working water heater or did you run it without a vent? Back to you, Tom

Tom,
Unbeknownst to me I was running a propane hot water heater without a vent securely fastened. I happened to notice that the pvc vent piping moved when I was working near it, followed it over about 4 feet to the water heater and found that it had never been hooked to the hood (if that is the proper term) with clamp and other parts which had been placed there in prep for hooking together but never hooked together. I have to assume that it had been that way since about 2002 when the previous owner had the house built, so he had used it four years in that status and we had used it almost another 4 years until we discovered it. The vent hookup was very close to being finished but not quite.
I am still looking up some info on vacation setting. Hope to do that tomorrow. Thanks.

If you have a gas water heater, natural gas or propane, there should be a vacation setting on the temperature dial.

HK,
Just checked. Didn't see it. I need to dig out the manual tomorrow.
Noticed that the energy usage tag says estimated
$ 260 per year to operate (that tag was probably put on in the late 90's or so maybe not too reliable now but... ) maybe not a cost effective idea.

Well surly there is a temperature dial. Just turn all the way down to lowest setting, doesn't matter what the writing on the dial says. I guess you could turn to 'pilot'. That would in effect be turning it off and would not have to relit pilot light when you turn it back on. Agree, probably not worth the effort.

I happened to notice that the pvc vent piping You don't use plastic to exhaust hot gases. There should be metal vent pipes. Have you corrected this yet? Let me know, Tom

There are some high efficiency hybrids that use PVC venting. See this link.
NEXT Hybrid® Gas - Water Heaters Residential by A. O. Smith (http://www.hotwater.com/water-heaters/residential/conventional/gas/next-hybrid-gas/)

What's brand and model.

Ouch! I'll have to check and make sure I am looking at the right pipes but that is how it was built--but inspection didn't start in this area until 2 years after the house was built so anything is possible. Thanks, I will look into that.

There are some high efficiency hybrids that use PVC venting. See this link.
NEXT Hybrid® Gas - Water Heaters Residential by A. O. Smith (http://www.hotwater.com/water-heaters/residential/conventional/gas/next-hybrid-gas/)

Whats brand and model.

Thanks Harold, I learn something new from you guys every day. Regards, Tom
PS I think of you every time I use your pepper mil. Thanks a heap!

Tom and hk,

Finally got a chance to review the A O Smith owner's manual.
Designation on front of manual is:
FPSH/FPCR/FPST with Smart Valve & 2" PVC Vent Capability

Under Installation of Vent System it says in part:"Nonmetallic vent piping may be used if it has a HDT (Heat Deflection Temperature) of at least 157 degrees F. Some typical nonmetallic vent materials meeting this requirement are PVC to ASTM D2665... " (and others listed).

The sch 40 pvc that was used shows that ASTM 2665 designation stamped on it, so it appears that the installer used one of the allowed materials. They just didn't secure it to the heater properly.

Thanks to both of you for the information.

Please let us know what you find out. If what you have for a vent pipe is schedule #40 PCV I would have it replaced at once. Good luck, Tom

Tom
I think Smearcase is saying the Sch 40 meets the specs of the installation instructions.

Yes. That is what I got out of it.