Hot Water Cylinder Hacks and Tips
The cost of having hot water is one of the largest household expenses for many Kiwis. Most of the time, we have clean water on demand whenever we want it, at whatever temperature we want. But this luxury comes at a cost. Our water and power bills seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
How can we save on our hot water cylinder power bills?
The following hot water cylinder water cylinder hacks and tips will help ensure that your hot water cylinder is working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible:
- Make sure you have the most economical heating system to provide hot water to your household. As we’ve outlined in another article, there are several different ways of heating the hot water in your home. Hot water cylinder options include electricity or gas, low or mains pressure, indoor or outdoor cylinder. There are several options, and the team at Cylinder Direct can help you determine which is best for your household and use. Therefore, get in touch with us and we can discuss some options with you – or have a read of some of the options here.
- Have your cylinder checked and maintained regularly. It’s important to have your hot water cylinder checked for leaks and any other maintenance issues. The team at Cylinder Direct can do this for you.
- Check that the thermostat is working properly. Water in a hot water cylinder should be stored at around 60 degrees Celsius. This is to prevent the risk of harmful Legionella bacteria growing in the cylinder or parts. There’s no need to keep the water any hotter. So we make sure that the thermostat is working properly and setting the water temperature correctly.
Hot water cylinder saving tips
- If your hot water cylinder is an older model, call us in to check that it is insulated properly. This will ensure that the water temperature isn’t dropping. (And will keep it safe as the cylinder can get quite hot to touch if it’s not insulated properly).
- Insulate your hot water pipes – or call us and we’ll do it. This will help keep the water hotter for longer. Often when you turn on the hot water tap and need to wait for the hot water to arrive. It’s because you’re getting the water that has been sitting in the pipes that has gone cold. Insulated pipes will help this water stay hot.
- Have the sediment drained from your hot water cylinder. Over time, sediment will settle at the bottom, and cleaning it out will help the cylinder work more efficiently and heat up faster. This is an easy regular maintenance task that we can do for you once a quarter to help you save money on your water and power bills.
General water saving habits
Along with all of the above hot water cylinder hacks and tips. It’s important to practice other general water saving habits as much as possible in your household.
Ideas to help you conserve water and save money on hot water power bill
- don’t run the water any longer than necessary – fill the sink with soapy water when hand washing a lot of dishes
- turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth or shaving
- if you tend to wait for the water to warm up after you turn on the hot tap, collect the initial cold water that comes out in a bucket and use it in the garden or for rinsing dishes
- collect rain water for watering your garden, washing your car/boat, rinsing off gardening tools or soccer boots, etc
- don’t empty water bottles (drinking bottles) down the sink at the end of the day – use the water for plants
- consider putting kitchen food waste into a compost instead of washing it down the drain and running water with a waste disposal unit
- put a clock or timer in the bathroom or in the shower itself. Additionally, try to shorten your shower time by even a minute or two
- try using a shorter wash cycle time for your dishwasher and laundry. (And wash clothes in a cold cycle, especially if they’ve only been worn once)
- don’t rinse dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Some stubborn baking dishes may need a bit of extra attention. For example, but most modern dishwashers can deal with small bits of residue on plates and bowls. (And you definitely don’t need to rinse cups or glasses)
- if you have a toilet with a half flush or full flush option, get used to using the half flush. Additionally, if you’re renovating a bathroom, we recommend you install a new toilet with a half flush option
- have your taps, drainage pipes, toilet cisterns and all your household plumbing checked to ensure there are no leaks – the Cylinder Direct team can do this for you.
Get in touch with Cylinder Direct
At Cylinder Direct we want to help you conserve water and save money on your power bills. It all starts with reviewing your water heating system and making sure everything is working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Get in touch with us for a no-obligation chat to see how we can help.
