Americans take an average of 15 minutes to shower, and use 2 gallons of water per minute. Therefore, every shower uses around 30 gallons of water - hot water that is. Not only does a 15 minute shower waste fresh water, but energy as well. Most homes use a conventional water heater fueled by natural gas, propane, fuel oil, or electricity; working as a standby reservoir storing 20-80 gallons of hot water. Conventional systems work by constantly heating the water in the tank when water demand is zero, also known as standby heat loss.
By limiting the duration of showers society can conserve water and avoid wasting energy. Another strategy would be to install a gas-fired tankless water heater – referred to a demand or instantaneous water heater. The advantage of these systems is their increased efficiency without compromising hot water availability. Energy is only used to heat the water when there is a demand, avoiding standby heat loss. Typically, demand water heaters are more expensive than conventional systems, however, they are more efficient and require less energy, saving money in the long run. According to the Department of Energy tankless models are, “24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water—around 86 gallons per day. Lastly, the potential energy saving of 27%–50% can be achieved if a demand water heater is installed at each hot water outlet.”
It is also important to properly install such systems to optimize the benefits and avoid problems. Successful installation depends on fuel type, climate, local building codes, and safety issues. Maintenance is equally important to ensure the system’s highest efficiency and to lower water and electricity bills (Department of Energy).
Next time you take a shower, think about how much water you could save if you take a shorter shower, and how much energy you could save if you had a more efficient water heating system.
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