not using hot water heater for extended periods?

[pogrelis97]

I'm getting close to finishing my house and will be moving out of my shop apartment, I have a 50 gal electric water heater there and while I'll still use the shop and water a lot I don't see myself using the hot water very often. Will it hurt anything to just leave the hot water heater off and only turn it on once a month or so when I need hot water?
Or should I buy a small 8-10 gal water heater and just leave it on all the time?
I would like the 50gal just to be able to not have to rush a shower.

 

[ForceFed70]

How long are we talking about here? Weeks, months, years?

If we're getting into the multiple weeks/months range - I'd not only shut off the heater, I'd be tempted to drain it.

 

[pogrelis97]

Would probably be shut off for a month or so at a time.

 

[wirt]

i would just turn it off but at least once a week run the faucet for a few minutes, that way even though it's cold you're still not letting sediment stand too long.

 

[GMCGarage]

I'm getting close to finishing my house and will be moving out of my shop apartment, I have a 50 gal electric water heater there and while I'll still use the shop and water a lot I don't see myself using the hot water very often. Will it hurt anything to just leave the hot water heater off and only turn it on once a month or so when I need hot water?
Or should I buy a small 8-10 gal water heater and just leave it on all the time?
I would like the 50gal just to be able to not have to rush a shower.

Get a smaller one. It would take 2-3 hours to get up to temp, and alot of juice. Get a tankless one.
SAve your 50Gal for when the house one fails.

 

[PFSard]

I'm no expert. I've lived in my current house in Arizona for eight years. During the summer I turn off the electric water heater (say for 4+/- months). No issues that I know of. Works fine the rest of the year. Water heater is pushing 12 years old.

 

[tarmy]

See if it has a vacation setting...some do to keep them from freezing and rupturing the tank.

The shop electric I have that does not have that feature I drain...they freeze, you get to but a new one...

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

A good idea is for all tank water heaters, to drain a little water out of the bottom of them once, or twice a year.

When I replace any water heater ( mine, my kids, etc. ) I remove the cheap plastic drain valve and replace it with a brass ****** and a good brass, 1/4 turn valve.

Once, or twice a year, I hook a hose up to the valve, run the hose outside, or to the sump crock, and quickly open the valve, then let the water run 15-20 seconds and pack up the hose. The sudden opening of the valve, and the size of the the passage in it, flushes more of the sediment out than the same action with the plastic valve which come with the heaters.

I am approaching 22 years with my heater, and 26 with my Mom's, which is far longer than standard in this area.



.

 

[ford33]

Heating all 50 gallons of water every couple months seems expensive. Calculate energy cost and compare it to a smaller water heater or the instant water heater.

 

[johninct]

I am on well water and the hot water heater in my house usually last 6 years. I have the same 50 gallon hot water heater in my shop. I turn the power on only when I think I will need hot water. It is sometimes off for a month or even more. It heats up fast because the top element heats first, then the bottom element goes on. I get hot water pretty quickly. It is 10 years old.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

LOL, if it's Energy Star rated, it might cost you $4-$7 max to leave it on per month if it's never used. I learned this from an energy conservationist from a power company....the key is not to use it AT ALL!

 

[mcj115]

Is the shop heated?

When you use the shop what will you use hot water for? you hands? Shower? Etc?

I say turn off the HW heater when not in use and also turn off the water supply. The heater will last as long as it lasts. When the current heater dies that is when you need to ask yourself what to replace it with.

This is me being cheap, but when walking through HD or Lowes if you see a good replacement small tank electric heater in the scratch and dent pile I'd negotiate and pick one up in advance.

For how much power/HW you will use it does not make sense to go with a extra efficient heater. Just flip the breaker and and use when needed.

 

[weadjust]

The electric hot water heater at our lake house is turned off at the breaker and the water main is shut off when no one is there. So it's off about 300+ days a year. The first water heater was replaced after 20 years. Nothing was wrong with it. I figured it was just a matter of time before 40 gallons of water was drained on the floor when no one was there.

 

[scottydosnntkno]

LOL, if it's Energy Star rated, it might cost you $4-$7 max to leave it on per month if it's never used. I learned this from an energy conservationist from a power company....the key is not to use it AT ALL!

At .16/kWh total the average energy star rated water heater uses $781/year or ten times your amount. But, that is also assuming normal useage of running three hours a day. How much does it take to standby? 1 hour? So still $23/mo

 

[MushCreek]

This is a problem for me as well. My worry is about the water sitting in the tank getting funky. I saw it happen one time, and it was not pretty. I'm thinking a small tankless for my shop, as it may go long periods without being used.

 

[finn]

Our cottage water heater was only used seasonally. No problems for over twenty years. Recovery was pretty fast for warm, but not hot, water.

Ny mother’s Florida condo had a terrible sulfur Oder when the water heater was first activated after a summer of being dormant. Black, foul smelling water until the tank was thoroughly flushed. Happened with the old tank and the new replacement.

 

[NUTTSGT]

What happens when you drain the tank for extended periods when not in use ?

 

[crazylunker]

I would be reluctant to leave it off, 20 years in the HVAC business I've seen a couple cases of Legionella bacteria due to stagnant water in domestic systems. This is the reason backflow preventers are code in hydronic heating and sprinkler systems.

 

[pogrelis97]

The shop is heated so no worry of anything freezing, I only anticipate turning it on when we have a bunch of people over for a party/bbq, family needing a place to stay during holidays/vacations, or if the wife kicks me out of the house for a couple days
As far as the water being stagnant I will still use a lot of water there, washing hands, shop laundry, shop dishes, power washing equipment, and can use the "hot water" so that the same water isn't sitting in the tank for extended periods of time. I'm not too concerned about the time it would take to warm up since I would always have at least a couple hours notice if we were to have company that needed to shower, etc..
At this point I think I'll just turn it off and make sure to use the "hot water" to keep water circulating through the tank occasionally.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Heating all 50 gallons of water every couple months seems expensive. Calculate energy cost and compare it to a smaller water heater or the instant water heater.

I make it about 8kwH to heat 50 gallons of water 60 degrees (say from 60 to 120 degrees F). If you figure a high power cost of $.15/kwh, that would work out to $1.20 per month.

That's going to be more than an order of magnitude less than simply letting it cycle all month.

I say go for it.

Regarding the sulfur issue...leaving the hot water on won't make that better. It might make it worse. My kids moved into a vacant apartment (had been empty for a while) and the sulfur smell from the hot water was knock-you-down bad. They had left the water heater on while vacant. I can't imagine it could have been worse if the thing had been left cold. I think that's a function of water quality and the anode material.

Phil

 

[Jackfre]

The problem with occasional use tank water heaters is that they MAY decide grow bugs in the water. Legionella may be the result. If you choose to operate the system as described they you should run the tank up to 140* to kill any potential bacteria and also flush the piping with that temp water as well.

 

[snorky18]

my 80 gallon electric water heater in our mostly-conditioned basement eats 112kwH/30 days for a family of 4. So ~$12/month in this area.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't just leave one on - I would think standby would be a dollar or two a month at most.

 

[P0234]

LOL, if it's Energy Star rated, it might cost you $4-$7 max to leave it on per month if it's never used. I learned this from an energy conservationist from a power company....the key is not to use it AT ALL!

I've got a newer electric in our vacation house and it shuts itself off after a couple of weeks. I have to run about 10 minutes of water out of it and it kicks back on.