Everything You Need to Know About Standby Heat Loss

This might seem like an obscure blog topic, but bear with us. Time and time again we see homeowners who are the unknowing victim of a water heater that’s wasting energy. The term standby heat loss refers to the heat that gets lost from a tank water heating system that’s not being used. While this is an unfortunate reality of tank water heating systems, your standby heat loss doesn’t have to be quite so bad.

Water heaters in Glassboro are complex, which is why our team is stacked with specialists who know their way around one. If you’re seeing a skyrocketing energy or fuel bill from your water heater, then we implore you to keep reading and call us for help. There are upgrades, improvements, and repairs that our team can make that are specifically designed to mitigate standby heat loss and make sure your water heater is as efficient as possible.

Let’s Define “Standby Heat Loss”

First, we need to talk about what standby heat loss is. For the uninitiated, it’s a term we use in the HVAC industry to describe a water heater that is constantly wasting heat while it’s sitting in your home unused.

Imagine a pot of boiling water when you turn the stove off. Eventually that heat will go from the water to the air throughout your home and the water will turn room-temperature. This is just the natural way things work, and unless you keep heating the water to a certain degree, it will cool down. Your water heater operates in the same way, where it constantly needs more heat because it will ultimately lose that heat as it waits to be used.

Your tank water heater does have some ways to reduce its amount of standby heat loss.

Water tanks are tightly insulated. Believe it or not, your water heater is heavily insulated to reduce heat loss as much as possible.It sits inside instead of outside. This is why water heaters are inside. If it were outside, it would lose far more heat due to the cold weather.It’s maintained to maximize efficiency. Maintenance is key in keeping your water heater efficient and reducing standby heat loss.

“My Water Heater Needs Help”

Now that we’ve talked about standby heat loss, it’s important to deal with the issue at hand. If you’re seeing higher energy or fuel bills from your water heater, it could be from this problem getting a little out of hand. Here are just a few ways you can help solve this problem.

Upgrade Your System

There exist systems like tankless water heaters that don’t have any standby heat loss, because they heat water on demand. This could be a great solution if you’re looking to replace your old, wasteful water heater.

Call for Maintenance or Repairs

Maintenance annually will help reduce the standby heat loss of your water heater. Likewise, if the problem is really bad, our team can fix it by providing targeted repairs that reduce the wasted heat.

Insulate the Pipes

Perhaps your plumbing needs more insulation to keep the heat in. Our team can help with your specific home’s needs. Just call us.

SPS Mechanical Inc. can provide quality work for your water heater. Call us today. Comfort at your service.

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Tags: Glassboro, tank water heater, Water Heater
Monday, April 5th, 2021 at 3:00 pm | Categories: Water Heaters
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