Your Water Heater's Dial Is Probably Set Too High — 9 Fixes Plumbers Charge For That You Can Do

My name is Wade Corbin. My house is the last one on the line, so I have had to work most of this out myself. There is a tank in my basement I did not look at for about eleven years. It sat in the corner, made hot water, and kept the whole tank hot all day and all night whether anybody was home or not. When a water heater goes wrong, somebody comes out, charges for the visit and does one of a handful of ten-minute jobs. Some of those you should leave to him. Some you can do yourself on a Saturday morning, and the Department of Energy has been telling people how for years. In this video: The dial — some manufacturers set it at 140 degrees; the Department of Energy says most households only need 120, and at 140 a tank can waste $36 to $61 a year in standby losses alone Why the dial is a safety thing — the CPSC's burn times: 140 degrees in six seconds, 120 degrees in five minutes, and why the elderly and young children are most at risk The two honest exceptions — a dishwasher with no booster heater, and anyone with a suppressed immune system The jacket — up to 25–45% less standby loss and about 7–16% off what you spend heating water, from around $20, paying for itself in about a year (electric tanks) The popular trick that does nothing on a gas tank — the Department of Energy says a blanket "accomplishes no purpose" The first three feet of pipe — hot and cold, foam sleeves for $10–$15, and the 6-inch rule near a gas flue A quart every three months — flushing the sediment, carefully The two parts nobody checks — the temperature and pressure relief valve, and the anode rod The drip — one drip a second is 1,661 gallons and up to $35 a year When you go away — turn it down, and on gas know how to relight the pilot before you turn it off The safety part — annual service for anything that burns gas, carbon monoxide alarms on every level, and no gasoline in the basement When to stop fixing it — ENERGY STAR's 10-year line, the warning signs, and "If your tank leaks, you need a new water heater" Gas or electric? Tell me in the comments, one word. I read every one of them. Subscribe so you do not miss the next one. Stay warm. Stay dry. And remember, the people who had to work these things out for themselves usually got closer to the truth than the people selling you the answer. I am not a plumber or an electrician. Anything to do with gas, wiring or the relief valve, have a qualified person look at it. #WaterHeater #HomeMaintenance #SaveMoney #EnergySaving #RuralLiving #SelfReliance #DIY #HotWater #CarbonMonoxide #ThingsThatWork