Hi ladies and gents. I've recently been talking to my dad and a few others about the benefits of turning the Electric water heater off except certain times of the day when needed and began to really wonder if this can save much on the electric bill?
Yes I know it constantly runs to maintain the water temp but wouldn't it be counter-productive to leave it off all day while at work and then turn it on late in the evening when everyone needs a shower? To me, that would require the elements to stay on 100% DC to heat the entire 55 gallons back up and cause a higher use of electricity vs just maintaining the temp by cycling on and off throughout the day.
I've see the "Little grey box" and other timers as well as folks just wiring in a switch. Is there some validity to this or a waste of time and money? What say you?
Yes I know it constantly runs to maintain the water temp but wouldn't it be counter-productive to leave it off all day while at work and then turn it on late in the evening when everyone needs a shower? To me, that would require the elements to stay on 100% DC to heat the entire 55 gallons back up and cause a higher use of electricity vs just maintaining the temp by cycling on and off throughout the day.
I've see the "Little grey box" and other timers as well as folks just wiring in a switch. Is there some validity to this or a waste of time and money? What say you?