Using the Vac Setting on Water Heater for Your Next Trip
If you've ever looked at the dial on your own tank and wondered about the vac setting on water heater units, you're basically looking in the "vacation mode" for the home's domestic plumbing. It's one associated with those features that most of us walk past every individual day without a second thought, nevertheless it's actually the pretty clever way to save a few bucks and maintain your house safe whilst you're away. Many people just leave their water heater cranking at 120 or 140 degrees year-round, even if they're hanging out on a beach 3 states away. Using that little "VAC" notch is a much smarter shift.
What does the VAC setting actually do?
The word "VAC" is just short for vacation, and its job is pretty straightforward. When you flip your heater over to this particular setting, you're informing the mind of the unit—whether it's the mechanical gas valve or a digital control board—to prevent keeping the water at a temp that's ready for a shower. Instead of keeping that will big 40- or 50-gallon tank in a scalding temperature, the vac setting on water heater containers usually drops the interior temperature down in order to approximately 50 plus 70 degrees F.
It's just enough heat to ensure that the particular water doesn't get cold if you live within a cold climate, but it's low enough how the burning or heating elements aren't kicking on every handful of hours to maintain a high heat. It generally puts the appliance in the "pilot-only" or "low-energy" state. You're still keeping the particular system active, but you aren't paying out to heat water that nobody will use for a week.
Precisely why you should bother using it
You may be thinking, "Is it really worth the thirty seconds this takes to crawl into the garage area or the downstairs room to show a dial? " For the weekend trip, maybe not. But if you're heading out for a week or two, the savings can in fact mount up. Water heating units are usually the second-biggest energy hogs in a typical home, right behind the particular HVAC system. They will constantly lose temperature through the walls from the tank—something advantages call "standby high temperature loss"—which means the heater has to fire up periodically just to remain hot, even in case you haven't handled a faucet.
By using the particular vac setting on water heater techniques, you're drastically reducing that standby reduction. Plus, it's the bit of a safety win. While modern water heating units are incredibly secure, there's always a tiny, tiny possibility of a pressure accumulation or a leak. Keeping the system at a reduce temperature reduces the entire stress on the particular tank and the pipes while a person aren't home to keep an vision on things.
Locating the setting on different models
Not every water heater looks the same, therefore finding the vac setting on water heater units may differ a bit based on what you've got in your own utility closet.
Gas Water Heaters
In case you have the standard gas water heater, you'll usually see a big plastic dial close to the bottom, right where the gas line gets into the unit. You'll see "On, " "Off, " "Pilot, " and after that usually a setting labeled "VAC" or "Vacation. " It's often right next to the "Pilot" position. To modify 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 light when you return; the flame remains lit, but the main burner simply stays off.
Electric Water Heating units
Electric models are a bit various. Older electric reservoirs might not even possess a vacation setting; they often simply have internal thermostats hidden behind screw on panels. Don't go poking around in these unless you know what you're doing, due to the fact there's high-voltage electricity inside. However, newer "smart" electric heaters or hybrid high temperature pump models usually have an electronic digital screen. You can often just press the "Mode" button until "Vacation" pops up. A few of the really extravagant ones even allow you tell the heater which time you'll come back therefore it can begin heating the water up before you walk with the front side door.
The "Wait Time" if you get back house
Here is usually the one catch that catches people off guard: once you get home from a long vacation, you won't have hot water immediately. If you've experienced 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 head down to the particular heater and switch the dial back again to your normal setting (usually "A" or "Hot, " which is in relation to 120 degrees). Based on whether you have a gas or electric unit, it'll take any where from 30 minutes in order to an hour and a half to obtain that tank support to a comfortable temperature. I've produced concentrate on of hopping in the shower 5 minutes after obtaining home from your airport terminal, only to obtain a face full of 60-degree water. It's an error you just make once!
A quick take note on safety plus bacteria
There's a bit associated with a debate within the plumbing world regarding whether the vac setting on water heater tanks will be "too cold. " Some folks worry about Legionella bacterias, which loves to grow in lukewarm water. This is precisely why most pros suggest that if you've been gone with regard to a really lengthy time—like a 30 days or more—you ought to turn the heater regress to something easier to its normal high setting and let it sit there regarding a couple of hours before you begin working the taps.
Once the water is back up to 120-140 degrees, it'll kill off something that tried to set up camp whilst you were gone. It's also a good idea to flush your faucets for a few minutes once the water is hot again. This clears out any stagnant water that's been sitting in the pipes throughout the particular house.
The reason why not just switch the heater away from completely?
It's tempting to just shut the entire thing down to save even even more money, but that's usually a poor contact. If you possess a gas heater, turning it "Off" means the preliminary light goes away. When you get home, you'll have to feel the whole procedure of relighting this, which can end up being a pain if the igniter is finicky.
More importantly, in the event that it's winter and you live someplace where it stalls, turning the heater completely off can result in a burst container or frozen piping if your home's heating system fails. The vac setting on water heater models keeps the water just warm enough to avoid it through turning into a block of ice. It's basically the "safe" way to be inexpensive with your utilities.
Is this really worth the effort?
All in all, using the vac setting on water heater tanks is a personal choice. In the event that you're only heading to be gone with regard to a night or two, the energy you save is probably measured within pennies, and it's likely not well worth the hassle associated with waiting for the particular water to heating regress to something easier when you return.
However, if you're a "snowbird" who leaves for the winter, or if you're taking a two-week international vacation, it's a total no-brainer. It saves energy, it reduces put on and tear on your tank, plus it's one much less thing to worry about. Just be sure a person remember where the switch is so you don't have to go hunting for it at nighttime when you're tired from traveling. It's a simple habit that's definitely worth starting.