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Of the appliances in a typical home, water heaters consume the most resources.
Purchasing an efficient, durable one can avoid energy waste, solid waste and waste of money in the long run. Maintaining your water heater can save even more money and resources.
Comparing the water heater in your home to your other appliances is like comparing your teenager to your child of any other age. The water heater consumes resources like a teen consumes food.
The website www.visualcapitalist.com features a study showing the average water heater uses 14% of a typical home's electricity, while a refrigerator uses just 4%. After the water heater, the next closest consumer is the washer and dryer together, at 13%.
In terms of solid waste, refrigerators are the only appliance weighing more than water heaters. An average empty refrigerator, at 200 pounds, weighs more than an average water heater, at 120 pounds, but if a water heater is not completely drained, it is far heavier. Full, water heaters average 450 pounds.
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Although water heaters are recyclable after being drained, and refrigerators are recyclable after the refrigerants are siphoned out by a certified recycler, the resources expended transporting and processing either one of these heavy, bulky items make their solid waste management issues as difficult as the logistics for a teenager's pre-pandemic extra-curricular activities.
However, unlike other appliances, and unlike teenagers, water heaters can be replaced with alternatives. One alternative, a solar water heater, is sometimes used to supplement, rather than replace, a water heater.
In Ventura County, since freezing weather is so uncommon, direct circulation systems are viable. Water is simply pumped through solar collectors, heated by the sun, and can then either supplement or can replace a water heater.
Complete replacement, for example with a system from Sunbank Solar, which specializes in online sales, features a 40-gallon solar water heating system for under $3,000.
Tankless water heating systems are another water heater replacement technology. Usually using natural gas, they heat water with intense blasts of energy when hot water is needed, rather than heating water frequently and storing it in a tank, where it gradually cools and requires more energy to re-heat.
Although these substitutes are efficient, most people use conventional water heaters. Choosing an efficient, durable water heater can save energy and reduce solid waste.
When shopping for a water heater, look for Energy Star certification. Every appliance sold in California must have a label indicating expected energy consumption compared to average comparable devices.
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Only some appliances are efficient enough to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification, indicating the device exceeds minimum standards.
Some devices offer not only efficient design for heating and storing water, but also other conservation features. For example, Ankur Maheshwari, senior global product manager for Rheem, told me his company's new ProTerra Hybrid electric water heater features two green innovations.
First, the ProTerra LeakGuard model has a built-in leak detection system, automatically shutting off to limit water loss from the tank to no more than 20 ounces. It also sends a text alert to notify the homeowner.
The second, a heat pump water heater, works "like a refrigerator in reverse," saving "nearly $500 in annual energy costs compared to standard electric water heaters."
With a retail price of approximately $1,300 at a major home improvement store in Ventura County, the ProTerra is more expensive than comparably sized water heaters, but the annual savings, if performing as promised, provides a full return on the additional investment in less than two years.
Water heater maintenance makes a big difference for efficiency and durability. Start with proper installation. Although some water heaters, including the ProTerra, allow zero clearance installation by placing all service components in front of the unit, most require at least two feet of space for optimal operation.
To optimally maintain any water heater, Maheshwari recommends draining about a quarter of the tank at least every six months to remove sediment and debris. Turn off the cold water supply, hook up a garden hose to the drain valve, and drain water into a bucket or out a door until water runs clear.
For gas-powered water heaters, check plumbing joints for corrosion. Check the water supply by turning on a nearby hot water tap and listening for water running.
Best practices also include replacing the anode rod every three years and testing the pressure-relief valve, on the top of side of the heater, by placing a bucket below the discharge pipe and gently lifting the pressure-relief valve lever. For both conservation and safety, set your water heater to less than 120 degrees.
To recycle your old water heater, contact the company hauling your residential refuse. Contracts and service are different in each Ventura County city, and some allow refuse haulers to charge for large items.
For example, the county's unincorporated area refuse haulers offer free collections twice per calendar year for bulky items unable to fit into curbside carts. However, haulers are allowed to charge for items over six feet in dimension or weighing over 80 pounds.
To learn more, visit www.energystar.gov and energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Appliance.
Eco-tip is written by David Goldstein, an environmental resource analyst for the Ventura County Public Works Agency. He can be reached at 805-658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.
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