In colder months, you wear two cardigans, a pair of socks, winter caps, and gloves to protect your body from cold. After doing so, you hibernate under two blankets to make your body warmer. Why is there a need for extra protection? Have you ever done this to your water heaters? Yes, When you heat the water in the heater, there is some loss of heat from the heater.
If the heat is lost during the process, then it will take more time to heat the water. The more time spent heating leads to high electricity bills, right? Insulation is the best solution to save your electricity bills. As the world looks for ways to generate electricity with less environmental impact, solar farms are becoming an increasingly popular option, and Pulse Power is leading the way, with some of the best Pulse Power rates for solar power. Let’s find out more about it. But before, let’s clear the term insulation and its related terms.
Introduction to Water Tank Insulation Jacket
An insulation jacket, or water tank jacket, is the blanket that is wrapped around the water heater to it away from losing the heat. It helps to maintain the temperature of the water stored in hot water.
These water jackets are made up of a variety of materials which include foil, fiberglass, sheets, etc. The type of material depends on the climatic condition as well as the insulation needed by your water heater. The insulation is measured with R-value (measures thermal resistance). If it has more R-value then the more insulation it will provide. The insulation materials affect the R-value and the same with the density and thickness. For areas in the house where typically isn’t climate control, choose the water jacket with high R-value.
Why should I choose a Water Heater Jacket?
Depending upon the age of your water heater, choose a water jacket accordingly. If it’s too old and loses excessive heat then it is better to change the water heater, But if it’s good to go for a few more years then expand its life by insulating it with best water heater blankets.
When you wrap the water heater make sure, you do not cover all the LEDs on the heater indicating the signs, the power buttons, and the instruction menu on the heater. These all are essential to be kept visual. Make sure the pipe connectivity is also well. There are also a few things one must know before insulating the hot water jacket.
First, check the place where your heater is placed. If the heater is placed inside your house, then you need less insulating material as the warmness of the house helps to maintain the temperature of the water heater. But in case the water heater is kept somewhere in the backyard, garden or any open space then you need more insulating material. The type of insulating material also depends on the climatic conditions of the area you’re living in.
If the heater’s temperature and outside temperature have a difference then, you need more insulation. But, if there’s less difference between the inside and outside temperature then single layer water tank insulation can be installed. Installing hot water jackets or blankets is always a good decision to retain the heat and decrease in the amount of wasted energy.
Does your Water Heater run on Gas or Electricity?
The water jacket insulation depends on the medium or fuel on which your heater runs. If you use a gas water heater, use immense caution, i.e. you should not cover the heating rod or any other part underneath the water jacket. Also, avoid covering the top part as a gas heater needs an exhauster to exit. In the case of an electric water heater, avoid covering the heating elements panels. LED indicators, controllers and temperature relief valve.
If you don’t have any idea about wrapping the gas heater, it is recommended to contact the nearest HVAC contractor.
You can save a huge amount of electricity bills on your water tanks heater as insulating water heaters prevents the heat loss which turns the water quickly hot. So when the water gets quickly hot, it consumes less electricity. Due to water tank insulation, the water kept inside the tank stays hot for a longer period which means one need not to switch on the heater again as the water in the heater is already hot. Tankless water heaters are also energy-efficient and do not need any water jacket insulation at all.
