FREE Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Construction, Diagnosis, Maintenance & Repair The accuracy & trustworthiness of every article or Q&A is researched by human experts. See WHO ARE WE?
Water Heater Efficiency
Ratings, Measurements, Improvements
POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about the efficiency ratings of different water heating methods & how to improve water heating efficiency or reduce hot water heating costs
Water heater energy efficiency comparisons: this article describes and compares the energy efficiency or operating costs of different types of water heater systems.
We list methods for improving water heater efficiency and hot water usage, the efficiency of how we use hot water, and how to reduce the contribution of hot water heating cost to the total building energy bill.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?
Hot Water Heater Efficiency Ratings, Factors, Improvements
Table comparing efficiency of different methods of producing domestic hot water
Hot Water usage & energy efficiency improvement recommendations that you can add, or change in your system can cut hot water heating bills significantly
A Quick Comparison of Water Heater Types by Efficiency
By 2010, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, water heater efficiencies could be organized and described by an energy efficiency factor. Water heater types are listed below in order of overall energy efficiency as follows:
Table of Water Heater Energy Efficiency Ratings
Energy source - fuel
Type of water heater
Energy Efficiency Rating - EF
Oil, No.2 home heating oil
Conventional oil fired water heater
0.55
Gas, LP or Natural
Conventional gas fired water heater
0.60
Gas, LP or Natural
High efficiency gas fired water heater
0.65
Gas, LP or Natural
Pilotless gas fired water heater
0.80
Gas, LP or Natural
Condensing gas storage type water heater
0.86
Electricity
Minimum-efficiency electric storage type water heater
0.90
Electricity
HIgh efficiency electric storage type water heater
0.95
Solar
Solar water heater, electric backup
1.20
Electricity
Electric heat pump water heater
2.20
Notes to the table above
1. The energy efficiency ratings do not reflect water heater recovery times.
For example, an electric storage tank type water heater will generally have a slower recovery time than a gas fired or oil fired heater of similar size.
See WATER HEATER COMPARISONS, PROPERTIES for a description of water heater life expectancy, recovery rates, costs and operating costs, and a comparison of other water heater types and properties.
3. As we explain below, the local efficiency of a water heater may look great, but the true energy efficiency of a water heater depends on more broad considerations.
For example, electric resistance heating is only as clean and efficient as the fuel (often coal) used at the electrical company's power plant. The cost, efficiency, and environmental impact of the fuel used at the electrical generating plant that powers your electric heater varies widely by geographic area.
But, currently (2012) unless your electric utility company is offering preferential electricity rates (such as off-peak energy use or an "all electric home" discount), even though modern electric water heaters have a higher efficiency factor than oil or gas fired water heaters, don't assume that an electric water heater is the most sound environmental choice.
These energy efficiency factor ratings do not include variations in life expectancy of the water heater, but ACEEE rated all of the water heaters at an expected 13-year life except oil-fired that they rated at 8 years.
The shorter life of the oil fired equipment, combined with its lower EF (if these are accurate estimates) mean that the per-year operating cost of oil fired water heating equipment is more than its competitors.
These ratings also do not compare BTUH input rates of the different equipment and thus don't say anything about the hot water recovery rate.
Also, the purchase and install costs of these different types of water heating systems vary widely, from a low of $820. for a typical high-efficiency electric storage type (tank) water heater, to $4,800. for a solar water heater with electric backup.
Costs do not include installation labor nor the effect of financial incentives, to this cost for solar hot water is over-stated.
Hot Water Usage Efficiency Improvements You Can Make
Often efficiency improvements in hot water use (or production) include include recommendations for installing restrictions on the flow rate of hot water in a building (flow restrictors or restrictors combined with an anti-scald valve), either right at the fixtures, or at the water heating device.
You are trading off total flow rate for reduced water heating costs.
Alternative ways to make hot water:
consider replacing or adding a hot water production alternative that is more energy efficient.
In addition to the obvious improvement of updating to a more fuel efficient model water heater, options such as pre-storage tanks or cascaded water heaters can make a very significant reduction in the cost of heating hot water, especially for buildings where the hot water quantity usage is large.
Appliances:
Change home appliances to install devices that consume less hot water. For example, see our hot water usage example below.
Electric water heaters:
install a water heater timer so that you are not paying to keep water hot when there is no call for hot water. Details are
when replacing a clothes washer, install models that use less water by installing a high efficiency washing machine with a "low water factor" and always wash full loads rather than smaller loads in your washing machine
Plumbing fixtures:
Change plumbing fixtures (low flush toilets, restricted flow shower heads and faucets) to install devices that consume less hot water. For example, replace showerheads that have a flow rate greater than 2.5 gallons per minute (the current National Energy Policy Act standard), with low flow shower heads.
Watch out: for increased hot water scalding burn risk hazards where low-flow shower heads are installed in homes without an anti-scald device.
How to take an efficient but nice and hot shower: especially for older fixtures that do not make use of a reduced-flow shower head, take shorter showers, and better still, use your shower more intelligently. Our daughter Mara used to start a shower by turning the hot water all the way on, to its fastest flow rate, then tempering the hot by turning on enough cold to avoid getting burned.
This gives a wonderful power, fast, huge water flow out of the shower head. But if you instead turn the hot water, say just half way on, or fully on until water is hot, then backing it off to half-speed, you will need less cold mixed-in to make the shower comfortable, and you'll suck hot water out of your water heater at half the rate.
EXTRA TANKS to INCREASE HOT WATER - pre-heat your hot water absorbing ambient building heat or increase hot water quantity with cascaded, staged, multiple water heaters, possibly using more than one energy source
change home appliances and plumbing fixtures to install devices that consume less hot water. For example, replace showerheads that have a flow rate greater than 2.5 gallons per minute (the current National Energy Policy Act standard),
take shorter showers,
when replacing a clothes washer, install models that use less water by installing a high efficiency washing machine with a "low water factor" and always wash full loads rather than smaller loads in your washing machine.
Install an active or passive pre-heater tank for domestic hot water supply
References
Also see additional citations atReferences or Citations at the end of this page
ENERGY EFFICIENT WATER HEATING [PDF] U.S. Department of Energy, a PDF file that provides tips on lowering your water heating bil
WATER HEATER EFFICIENCY at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.
Search the InspectApedia website
Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed:if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.
Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
[1] American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,
529 14th Street N.W., Suite 600,
Washington, D.C. 20045-1000, (202) 507-4000
E-mail: aceeeinfo@aceee.org
E-mail: ACEEE_Publications@aceee.org - www.aceee.org/ - original source for comments in this article|:: http://www.aceee.org/Consumerguide/waterheating.htm
[2] GAMA data base of water heater efficiencies: http://www.gamapower.org/water.php
Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates'Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.