Should you turn off water heater when on vacation?
Almost all homes are fitted with water heaters for a steady supply of warm water, especially during the cold season. While having a water heating system is essential, these heaters use energy, leading to higher energy bills. As one way to keep the costs down, most people will turn off their heaters should they be away from their homes for some time. But, is this wise? Should you turn off the water heater when on vacation?
Turning off your heater can help save energy and bring your costs down, nevertheless, the best thing to do when spending some time away from your home is to leave it on. Here are some of the reasons why leaving your water heater on may not be such a bad idea after all:
- It stops your water from freezing- It can get very cold, and if the water is not heated, it will freeze.
- Helps prevent damages-freezing water can have significant damage to your pipes and other plumbing fixtures.
- Avoid costly reheating- once your water freezes, reheating it requires lots of energy which can turn out to be more expensive.
- It helps keep the heater in good working condition- ever switched off a device or equipment and it fails to turn back on? It can happen to you after shutting down the water heater for long disuse.
What You Should Do
Instead of shutting down your water heater when going away for some time, leave it on its low setting. This will be enough to keep the water warm and prevent it from freezing. It also uses less energy when on its lowest setting.
Heating water for home use can be costly, and that is why most people would turn off the water heater while on vacation or when not in use. At times, it has more to do with safety. No doubt these are genuine concerns, but leaving the heater on can also have its advantages. It helps to keep all this in mind when making the decision to leave it on or not.
Check this too: Best propane water heater for off grid cabin