The Green Column

by Richard C. MacCrea, Andrews Valley Initiative

rmaccrea1@gmail.com

Low Cost Water Heating

If you have children at home, you probably spend $50 each month to heat your water. How can this be reduced? Lets look at four ways:

Solar water heating can cost $6000 or more installed. There are local companies that sell and install solar water heating. A tax credit might help pay for part of the cost. You would be giving work to a local person. If the system is well designed and maintained, it might reduce your water heating costs by as much as $45 per month. If you are financing the construction or remodeling of your home, it might be worthwhile to borrow another $6000, since this might increase your payment by only $35, less if you qualify for a tax credit. Would you increase your mortgage payment by $35 if it reduces your electric bill by $45? Remember, that $45 savings will increase every time TVA raises their rates. In twenty years that might be $75 you are saving every month.

Electric heat pump water heaters are a new option. One for your home might cost $1600 plus installation, but it might save you $38 per month on your electric bill when compared to a standard water heater. It will also cool and dehumidify the area around it. And your mortgage payment will only go up about $10. They are about the same size of a standard water heater.

Super insulated tank water heaters are another option to consider. The Tennessee Valley Authority has a program to help you get one of these in your home. Retail price is about $900 plus installation, but you might qualify for a rebate. They last much longer than a standard water heater, and cost about $5 more on your mortgage payment. But they might save you almost $10 per month on your electric bill. One model has four inches of foam insulation, keeping the water hot for a very long time. It also features a water tank that cannot corrode and is about the same size as a standard water heater. Combine one of these with a solar water heating system, and you can store that sun heated water for much longer periods of time.

Tankless water heaters save money by heating only the water used. They also take up less space than a standard water heater. Depending on the size, they might cost $500- $1000 plus installation and save $10 per month in water heating costs. But if your home is tightly insulated (as it should be) you might not want a gas burning water heater inside your home. There are also electric tankless water heaters, but they require a large electrical connection (as much as 220 volt, 100 amp ) which might mean a larger, more expensive electrical service for your home. Tankless water heaters make sense in homes that are occupied part time and where space is very tight.

Standard 50 gallon electric water heaters might cost $285 plus installation. They might cost you $50 per month to run, and $1 of your monthly mortgage payment.

I gathered this information from manufacturers’ web sites. You can learn more at energystar.gov. Look at products, then plumbing.

Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initiative. He works in the field of energy efficient, green building. rmaccrea1@gmail.com