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You are Here: Skip Navigation LinksWelcome > Going Green > Improving Energy Efficiency > 5 Ways To Boost Energy Efficiency > Hot Water Heaters

Are You Using Energy Efficient Hot Water?

Restaurants use A LOT of hot water.  In fact, it's probably one of your largest energy expenses in a given month.  When you go through that much quantity, even a small change in your daily use can translate into some big savings down the road.
Here are some simple steps that can go a long way towards helping cut costs:

Set the water heater temperature to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Commercial dishwashers should have a built in booster heater that heats water to the required 180 degrees for dish sanitization.  If it doesn’t, it’s more efficient to purchase a booster heater for the dishwasher than to heat all your water to 180 degrees.  There’s no benefit to spending the extra energy to heat water in the water heater past 140 degrees, and reducing the heat can save you some significant money.

Insulate hot water pipes. Pipe insulation is cheap to buy and easy to install, and the energy you can save from such a simple technique is considerable.  The most important place to install insulation is on the pipes coming out of the water heater, where the water is hottest.  It’s also a good idea to insulate the area around the water heater as well if necessary.

Fix leaks right away. Whether it’s faucets or dishwashers or pre-rinse assemblies, fix whatever is leaking hot water right away.  A leak is just money going down the drain, something you can ill afford.

Use aerators and low-flow pre-rinses. Faucet aerators and low flow spray valves on pre-rinses reduce the amount of water you use and the amount of wastewater you produce, both of which will save you money.  A low flow spray valve in particular can reduce your hot water consumption by hundreds of gallons per month.

Use the automatic flue damper. Most commercial water heaters have a flue damper that seals in heat when your water heater is idle.  Make sure this damper is working.

Set the timer on the recirculation pump. If your hot water heater has a recirculation pump, set or install a timer so that it turns off during non-business hours.  This prevents heat loss through the hot water pipes and could result in hundreds of dollars worth of savings.

Buy Energy Star rated water heaters. If you are replacing or installing a new heater, only buy Energy Star rated units and shop around to find the most efficient one available.  In general, the newer the water heater, the more efficient it’s going to be.  While it may seem like you’re saving money by riding that old clunker in your basement until it completely dies, in reality very old water heaters can cost you a lot of money in lost efficiency.