When preparing to leave for vacation, your to-do list can be quite long and include tasks such as finding a pet sitter, eating what’s left in the fridge, and packing. But what about your HVAC system? You might be planning on unplugging your appliances, turning off your lights, and turning off your HVAC system, but should you turn your water heater off too?
What are the energy savings?
If you’re planning on leaving for vacation for a short period of time (around one week), turning off your water heater won’t provide any energy savings. In fact, you’ll only save an average of a few cents per day, depending on the make and model of your water heater. If you’re going to be vacationing for weeks to months at a time, we recommend discussing the benefits with your HVAC technician.
Problems That Might Arise
The most obvious problem with turning off your water heater when you’re away is that there won’t be any hot water in your house. Even if no one will be at your house while you’re gone, this means that once you get back, it can take at least an hour to get hot water once the unit is turned back on. This might not sound like a big deal, but when you’ve been traveling all day, a hot shower sounds comforting but will have to wait!
Another common issue with turning your water heater off is that if your unit is older, it might not turn back on or take a long time to reboot. The stress of rebooting the unit can cause it to fail and means you now need to deal with a water heater replacement.
Should You Turn Off Your Water Heater When You’re Not Using It?
Instead of turning it off, turn the temperature on your water heater down so it’s between 50 and 70 degrees. This will put it into “hibernation” and will still save you a few cents each day without turning it off completely.
If you’re going on a longer vacation and want to drain your unit and turn it off, always consult your HVAC team. They will be able to help you make sure everything is turned off properly to avoid any issues while you’re gone and when you get back.