Using the Vac Setting on Water Heater for Your Next Trip
If you've ever viewed the particular dial on your tank and considered about the vac setting on water heater units, you're basically looking at the "vacation mode" for the home's plumbing related. It's one of those features that most of us walk past every solitary day without a second thought, although it's actually a pretty clever method to save some bucks and keep your home safe while you're away. Most people just depart their water heater cranking at 120 or 140 degrees year-round, even if they're hanging out on a beach 3 states away. Making use of that little "VAC" notch is a much smarter shift.
What does the VAC setting actually do?
The word "VAC" is just brief for vacation, and its job is definitely pretty straightforward. Whenever you flip your heater over to this setting, you're telling the brain of the unit—whether it's a mechanical gas device or a digital control board—to cease keeping the water at a temperatures that's ready for a shower. Instead of keeping that will big 40- or 50-gallon tank at a scalding temperature, the particular vac setting on water heater tanks usually drops the internal temperature down in order to somewhere between 50 and 70 degrees F.
It's just enough heat in order to ensure that the particular water doesn't freeze out in case you live within a cold climate, but it's low enough that the burner or heating components aren't kicking on every handful of hours to maintain a high heat. It essentially puts the machine inside a "pilot-only" or "low-energy" state. You're still keeping the system active, but you aren't having to pay to heat water that nobody is going to use for the week.
Precisely why you should bother using it
You may be thinking, "Is it really worth the thirty seconds it takes to get into the garage or the cellar to show a dial? " For a weekend trip, probably not. But in the event that you're heading out there for a week or two, the particular savings can actually mount up. Water heaters are often the second-biggest energy hogs in a typical house, right behind the HVAC system. They constantly lose temperature through the walls of the tank—something benefits call "standby high temperature loss"—which means the particular heater has in order to fire up regularly just to remain hot, even if you haven't touched a faucet.
By using the vac setting on water heater systems, you're drastically decreasing that standby loss. Plus, it's the bit of a safety win. Whilst modern water heaters are incredibly secure, there's always a tiny, tiny possibility of a pressure buildup or a leak. Keeping the program at a lower temperature reduces the overall stress on the particular tank and the pipes while you aren't home to keep an eye on things.
Finding the setting on different models
Not really every water heater looks the same, therefore finding the vac setting on water heater units can differ a bit depending on what you've got in your own utility closet.
Gas Water Heaters
In the event that you have a standard gas water heater, you'll usually see a huge plastic dial near the bottom, right where the gas line gets into the unit. You'll see "On, " "Off, " "Pilot, " and then usually a setting labeled "VAC" or even "Vacation. " It's often right following to the "Pilot" position. To change it, you generally just turn the knob till the tip aligns with all the VAC mark. Want to know the best part? A person don't have to relight the pilot lighting when you get back; the flame remains lit, but the particular main burner simply stays off.
Electric Water Heaters
Electric versions are a bit various. Older electric tanks might not even have got a vacation setting; they often just have internal thermostats hidden behind screw-on panels. Don't go poking around in all those unless of course you know what you're doing, mainly because there's high-voltage electrical power in there. However, more recent "smart" electric heating units or hybrid warmth pump models usually have a digital screen. You can usually just press a "Mode" button till "Vacation" pops up. Some of the really fancy ones even allow you tell the particular heater which time you'll be back so it can start heating the water up before you walk with the front door.
The "Wait Time" if you get back home
Here will be the one catch that catches individuals off guard: whenever you get home from a long vacation, you won't possess hot water immediately. If you've had the vac setting on water heater mode for 10 days, that water is going to be cold.
Once you fall your bags, you'll need to mind down to the heater and change the dial back again to your normal setting (usually "A" or "Hot, " which is in relation to 120 degrees). Depending on whether a person have a gas or electric unit, it'll take any where from 30 minutes to an hour plus a half to obtain that tank back up to a comfortable temperature. I've produced concentrate on of hopping within the shower 5 minutes after obtaining home from the airport terminal, only to obtain a face full of 60-degree water. It's a mistake you only make once!
A quick be aware on safety and bacteria
There's a bit of a debate in the plumbing world regarding whether the vac setting on water heater tanks is definitely "too cold. " Some folks worry about Legionella bacteria, which loves to develop in lukewarm water. This is the reason why most pros suggest that if you've been gone intended for a really lengthy time—like a 30 days or more—you should turn the heater regress to something easier to the normal high setting and let it sit there for a couple associated with hours before you start running the taps.
Once the water is back up to 120-140 degrees, it'll kill off anything that tried to set up camp whilst you were eliminated. It's also a wise decision to flush your own faucets for the few minutes as soon as the water will be hot again. This clears out any stagnant water that's been sitting in the pipes throughout the particular house.
Exactly why not just switch the heater off completely?
It's tempting to simply shut the whole thing down in order to save even more money, but that's usually a bad call. If you have got a gas heater, turning it "Off" means the preliminary light goes away. When you go back home, you'll have in order to have the whole process of relighting it, which can become a problem if the igniter is finicky.
More importantly, in the event that it's winter plus you live someplace where it freezes, turning the heater completely off could lead to a burst tank or frozen water lines if your home's heating system fails. The vac setting on water heater products keeps the water just warm good enough to prevent it from becoming a block of ice. It's simply the "safe" way to be inexpensive with your resources.
Is this well worth the hard work?
All in all, using the vac setting on water heater tanks is the personal choice. When you're only heading to be gone regarding a night or even two, the power you save is usually probably measured within pennies, and it's likely not worth the hassle of waiting for the particular water to heat up support when a person return.
However, if you're a "snowbird" who else leaves for that winter season, or if you're taking a two-week international vacation, it's a total no-brainer. It saves energy, it reduces use and tear on your tank, and it's one much less thing to be concerned about. Just make sure a person remember in which the dial is so you don't have to go hunting regarding it in the dark whenever you're tired from traveling. It's a simple habit that's definitely worth starting.