Tips to Make Your Unvented Cylinder More Energy-Efficient

Running water has revolutionized the Western world. Having access to hot water at the turn of a tap is truly amazing. However, that comes with a cost. You pay money not just for every litre of water that flows through your home’s pipes, but also to heat that water. And when financial times get tight, everyone needs to find ways to cinch up their belts a bit. In this post, we’ll cover a few important ways to make your unvented cylinder more energy-efficient without sacrificing modern conveniences.

Turn It Off

The first tip we have to offer might seem a little at odds with the gist of our blog post in terms of saving money without sacrificing comfort. Hear us out, though. Why leave your water heater running when you’re not around to use it or when you’re sleeping?

Even the most insulated cylinders lose heat to the surrounding environment, causing them to cycle and reheat water. If you’re sleeping, at work, or on holiday, there’s no point in using that electricity. You can install a timer that turns your cylinder on during specific hours of the day. That saves you money and reduces your energy demand. Just make sure to give the cylinder sufficient time to heat the volume of water inside before you need to use it.

Wear a Jacket

What’s the difference between an ultra-high-efficiency cylinder and a standard cylinder? It’s all about insulation. The higher the efficiency rating of a water heater, the more advanced the insulation will be (it might not be thicker – just better performing).

You can take matters into your own hands by investing in an insulative jacket for your cylinder. These fit around the outside of the unit and help prevent heat from being lost to the environment. With better insulation, your cylinder can hold heat for longer periods, sometimes many times longer, which reduces the number of heating cycles and power/fuel for those cycles.

Drain the Cylinder

Every unvented cylinder should be drained annually, but this is particularly important if you live in an area with hard water. Your water carries sediment into the cylinder, where it begins to settle. It creates a coating on the bottom of the cylinder, as well as over your immersion heater(s). This does a couple of things.

First, as sediment settles to the bottom of the cylinder, it takes up space and reduces the volume your cylinder can hold. Second, as it coats your immersion heater(s), it reduces heat output, so the heaters must work harder and longer to heat the same volume of water.

That results in increased fuel consumption and higher costs, as well as an increased likelihood of heater failure. Draining and flushing your cylinder annually helps minimise this problem and improves your cylinder’s efficiency.

If your cylinder is less efficient today than when you installed it, it might be time for maintenance. Call EasyFlow to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our annual maintenance plans. Need a replacement cylinder rather than service or maintenance? We can help with that, too!