hot water heater insulation?

[gb387]

Does wrapping your water heater with insulation really help reduce energy costs? anyone have experience with this?

[OI812]

I suppose you might save a buck or two over the life of the water heater.

All of the residential water heater I know of already have insulation in them. Adding more may help, but you need to look at where your heat loss is. Heat rises--thus the top of the water heater, and the piping going in and out of the water heater.

Do you have an updraft, power vent, direct vent or a electric unit?
What type of piping do you have leaveing the water heater is it copper, pvc or something else.

Your biggest loss of heat is in the piping, especially copper. Copper disappates heat really nice(unfortunate). If the manufactures thought it would help to put 6" of insulation on the water heater to make it more efficient then they would do it. It would be a great selling point IMO. Now everyone else can tell me I'm wrong.:rolleyes:

[gb387]

Its a gas water heater about 5 years old.

You know I heard someone else say something similar about copper pipe, I wish I could wrap the pipe but I have no access to the pipe anywhere (everything is finished) other than right by the water heater.


If the manufactures thought it would help to put 6" of insulation on the water heater to make it more efficient then they would do it.
I see your point there.

Thanks for the reply!

[jstbecauz]

OI812, I agree, if you have a house that you can get to the pipes then insulate them rather than the heater itself :thumbup: