Is It Alright To Turn Off An Electric Hot Water Heater For A Few Weeks At A Time?
I have a vacation home in PA which I visit about 1-2 times a month. I have always turned off the hot water heater when I leave and was recently told that I should leave it on which I have been doing since being told this. I leave the heat on in the house (also electric) with the thermostat set to 55. Is there any reason to leave that hot water heater going when no one is there? I would hate to pay the extra electric if its not necessary. Thanks for any info on this subject.
Related posts:
- If I Turn Off My Electric Water Heater In Florida For 3-4 Months Will It Evaporate,break It Etc.? my mom is leaving her condo in FL for...
- How Do You Turn On An Electric Hot Water Heater? My dad turned of our hot water heater and I...
- Electric Water Heater Keeps Needing Upper Element Reset.? My electric water heater needs the upper element reset several...
- Is It A Good Idea To Turn Off My Electric Water Heater When Im Not Using It Like Every Other Month.? i own a condo and when its not rented every...
- I Have A Electric Mobile Home Water Heater That Is Leaking At Fitting Where The Hot Water Connects? I have a electric mobile home water heater that is...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
5 Responses to “Is It Alright To Turn Off An Electric Hot Water Heater For A Few Weeks At A Time?”
Leave a Reply
September 25th, 2009 at 1:56 am
If your heater is in an area that is maintained above freezing, then just save some dollars and turn it off.
Turning it down for weeks at a time is not such a good idea. If hot water is held stagnant below 120°, Legionella can grow in it.
If the heater is in a below freezing area, either turn it off and drain it, or leave it running normally.
September 25th, 2009 at 5:11 am
go ahead and turn it off
September 25th, 2009 at 5:56 am
I think that this winter in particular, it is worth it to keep it on. You certainly don’t want to go for a relaxing weekend and have frozen, burst pipes. If you want to research draining all your pipes or putting heat tape on, you may want to try that in future. I don’t know what part of the state you are in, but with wind chills and cold weather, you could be at risk for such a problem.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Better to just turn it way down. Locate the thrmostat inside an access panel on the side of the tank. It usually operates with a screwdriver b/c the manufacturer doesn’t expect the consumer to fuss with it. It should be marked off in approximate temps.
September 25th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I’m assuming your water heater is in the basement if you’re in PA. If so, there’s no reason you can’t turn the heater off at the breaker. That’s what my father-in-law always did when they traveled; they lived in PA also. You’re keeping your house at 55 degrees, which should prevent the pipes from freezing.
If your water heater is in a shed or where it will freeze, then of course you can’t just shut it off without draining everything.