Insulate Hot Water Heater Pipes

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A hot water heater can be about 15% of your energy cost. A simple tip  is to insulate your hot water pipes.

The US Dept. of Energy suggests that homeowners insulate at least 6 feet of the pipe coming into and out of the hot water heater. This will increase the temperature at the faucets 2 to 4 degrees and save you money on your heating.

If you have an electric hot water tank, you can use foam insulation. It is very easy to cut with scissors and wrap around the pipe. If you have a gas hot water tank, you cannot have foam insulation within 6 inches of the flue. You will use fiberglass insulation and wrap it using wire or high temperature aluminum tape to hold it in place.

This is an easy do it yourself project that will save energy and give you hotter water.

No Hot Water? Replace the Thermocouple

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I cover the steps to replace a thermocouple on a hot water tank with a sealed combustion chamber.
For safety, hot water tanks now have a sealed inner door to the combustion chamber. You will have an igniter connected to the burner to light your pilot.
There are several ways that companies seal the burner chamber. You can have 2 or 4 screws and they can have a Phillips or an Allen head.
When you are replacing the thermocouple, you may have to cut a slit in the door gasket to change out the thermocouple. When you push it back into the door, it will reseal.
Be careful when removing and reinstalling the nuts to the thermocouple, burner tube and pilot tube. The metal is very soft and can easily be cross threaded or cracked it tightened too much.
This is an easy do it yourself project, perfect for homeowners.