How To: Adjust your water heater to save energy

If you can make yourself a cup of tea just by turning on your faucet, you need to lower your water heater. You'll help the planet and save money on your heating bills.

You Will Need:
* A meat thermometer
* A water heater blanket
* And a water heater timer

Step 1: Check the tap temperature
If it's over 120 degrees, it's time to adjust the thermostat.

Step 2: Adjust the temperature
Before you open up any part of an electric water heater, turn the power off! Water and 220 volts DO NOT MIX! Find your heater's temperature control and set it to 120 degrees. Most electric heaters have two thermostats behind screw-on plates. Make sure the power's off, and then set them to the same temperature. Oil heaters have a thermostat on the side, and gas heaters usually have one on the bottom.

Step 3: Keep the heater warm
If your water heater is warm to the touch, it's wasting energy. Help it keep that heat inside by having a water heater blanket installed. It will pay for itself by lowering your heating bills as much as 9%.

Step 4: Install timer
Install a timer on your water heater so that it shuts off during times when you don't need hot water, like the middle of the night.

Step 5: Drain a quart of water from your tank every three months.
It will remove sediment that reduces your heater's efficiency. Follow the instructions for your heater.

Step 6: Periodically recheck the temperature
Thermostats are often inaccurate. Adjust the thermostat and recheck the temperature until the water is really 120 degrees, regardless of what the thermostat says.

Step 7: Turn down when gone
If you're leaving your home for more than three days, turn the heater setting down to the lowest setting, or off if there's no danger of the water freezing.

Step 8: Go solar
If your bills are still higher than they should be, consider replacing your water heater with a more energy-efficient one, like a solar heater, especially if yours is from before 1996.