New Water Heater Regulations: How Will They Affect You?

Over the course of the next few years, new water heater efficiency regulations will be in full effect and officially began in April 2015. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the new standards in 2010 an estimated that will avoid approximately 172 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (equivalent to 33 million automobiles) and save approximately $63 billion in energy cost savings over the next 30 years.  All gas fired, oil fired, electric, table top, instantaneous gas fired and electric fired will be affected under the new regulations.

Our plumbers in San Diego have already begun making preparations for the new water heater regulations and have stocked up warehouse inventory. Due to the new water heaters, many of the major manufacturers have halted production on current models in order to begin producing the higher efficiency water heaters. Regulations do allow the installation of older models until exhausted, and the new models may present some challenges for homeowners.

Under the new DOE regulations, all water heaters are required to operate at an EF (Energy Factor) of .62 or higher.  But what exactly does the energy factor mean to you? The EF is the efficiency with which your water heater heats water. Pretty straightforward, right?  If you want a quick analogy, simply convert the EF to a percentage, and you have the percentage of fuel used to heat the water. The remainder is the waste.

So the new regulations are pretty good, and can potentially save consumers dollars, as well as protecting the environment. But with all new and improved products, there is always talk about how the changes might negatively affect consumers.

Before the official rollout, there was a lot of speculation that the new energy efficient water heaters would be much larger and come with a higher price tag. And, while some adjustments to size were made, and more energy efficient models usually equate to a cost increase, the challenges that people were afraid of, and that our plumbers in San Diego have encountered are almost non-existent.

So the verdict really points to higher energy efficiency moving forward in all water heaters, and really only means good things for your utility bill and the environment.

So whether you are in immediate need or good for another 12 years, the water heater regulations will benefit you when it comes time to install a new water heater. The expert San Diego plumbers at Bill Howe are available 24/7 and have been preparing for the shift so that you will have all of the answers you need.

For questions, free estimates or plumbing emergencies, call the name San Diego has trusted for 35 years, 1-800 Bill Howe (245-5469).

Source for this article can be found at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/27