If you think you have a problem with one of your electrical outlets or light switches, the first thing to consider is that faulty electrical work can cause fires and receiving an electrical shock isn’t much fun – they can actually cause severe injuries. If you have never worked on electrical wiring and have no idea what you’re doing, it’s always a good idea to call a qualified electrician to work on your electrical outlets and light switches rather than charging in blindly.
Light switches and electrical outlets that don’t work but have been okay in the past may simply be due to a breaker tripping in your main electrical panel. If that turns out to be the case, there’s a possibility that you may have overloaded the circuit with the tools or appliances that were plugged into the outlets controlled by that breaker. Unplug a few items and try flipping the breaker into the on position until it locks in place. If it refuses to lock or immediately flips to the off position again, your work is done – call a professional electrician to look at the problem that could be a faulty breaker or a short in the line somewhere. Under no circumstances should you remove the cover off the electrical panel unless you have experience in this area.
If the breaker wasn’t in the off position, there’s a good chance the problem is at the outlet or switch. It isn’t unheard of for either to go bad on occasion. While replacing electrical outlets or light switches is a fairly simple operation, it’s still a good idea to use a qualified electrician for the project. If you insist on trying it yourself, ensure that the breaker controlling the switch or outlet has been turned off before removing the fixture’s cover. The best way to make sure is by using a professional tester available at most hardware stores and electrical supply distributors. Do not attempt to work in the fixture box until absolutely sure the juice is off to the outlet or switch.
Removing the switch or outlet is fairly easy and normally a just matter of loosening a few screws. Take the faulty switch or outlet with you when purchasing a replacement to ensure you’re getting an identical match. Put everything back together and make sure you don’t have any wires touching each other in the box. If the fixture still doesn’t work, call an electrician to take a look.
The U.S. government established a mandatory compliance program in the 1970s requiring that certain types of new appliances bear a label to help consumers compare the energy efficiency among similar products. In 1980, the Federal Trade Commission’s Appliance Labeling Rule became effective, and requires that EnergyGuide labels be placed on all new refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, dishwashers, clothes washers, room air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers. These labels are bright yellow with black lettering identifying energy consumption characteristics of household appliances. Although these labels will not tell you which appliance is the most efficient, they will tell you the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance so you can compare them yourself.
EnergyGuide labels show the estimated yearly electricity consumption to operate the product along with a scale for comparison among similar products. The comparison scale shows the least and most energy used by comparable models. The labeled model is represented by an arrow pointing to its relative position on that scale. This allows consumers to compare the labeled model with other similar models. The consumption figure printed on EnergyGuide labels, in kilowatt-hours (kWh), is based on average usage assumptions and your actual energy consumption may vary depending on the appliance usage.
EnergyGuide labels are not required on kitchen ranges, microwave ovens, clothes dryers, on-demand water heaters, portable space heaters, and lights.
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The next time you pay your utility bill, try one simple calculation. Divide the total amount by seven. The result is the amount you spend to heat your water. (If you receive separate utility bills for gas and electricity, use the gas bill for this calculation if you have a gas water heater; use the electric bill if you have an electric water heater.)
Of course, you may think this cost is a small price to pay for the convenience of a hot shower. But during the course of a year, this cost adds up. And when you consider that 95 million households in this country pay the same percentage, it is easy to see how much money—and energy—is used to heat water.
Several measures can help you decrease water-heating costs in your home. Some specific actions include reducing the amount of hot water used, making your water-heating system more energy efficient, and using off-peak power to heat water.
Various procedures for lowering water temperature in the home exist, depending on the method of heating. Here are some suggestions:
Electric water heaters. Call your local electric company to adjust the thermostat. Some companies offer this service at no-charge. Hot water should not be used for at least two hours prior to setting. To make the adjustment yourself, start by shutting off current to the water heater, then turn off the circuit breaker to the heater or remove the fuse that serves the heater. Most electric water heaters have two thermostats, both of which must be set to a common temperature for proper operation. To reach these thermostats you must remove the upper and lower access panels. Adjust the thermostat following the instructions provided with the appliance. Hold a candy or meat thermometer under the faucet to check water temperature.
Gas water heaters. Because thermostats differ, call your local gas company for instructions. Where precise temperatures are not given, hold a candy or meat thermometer under faucet for most accurate reading first thing in the morning or at least two hours after water use. If reading is too high, adjust thermostat on heater, according to manufacturers instructions, and check again with thermometer.
Never take hot water temperature for granted. Always hand-test before using, especially when bathing children and infants. Leaving a child unsupervised in the bathroom, even if only for a second, could cause serious injuries. Your presence at all times is the best defense against accidents and scaldings to infants and young children.
- Repair your leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet will waste gallons of water in only a short period of time.
- Buy a new energy saving water heater. It may cost more initially than a standard water heater, but the energy savings will continue throughout the lifetime of the appliance. Have you considered a tankless water heater. Watch this video to learn more about how they work – Tankless water heater video.
- Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it’s a good idea to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old.
- Install non-aerating low-flow faucets and showerheads throughout your home.
- Shower more than you bathe. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15-25 gallons of hot water every time you take a bath, but less than 10 gallons are used for a 5-minute shower.
- Lower the thermostat on your water heater. Today’s newer water heaters come from the factory with temperature settings around 120°F. This temperature will provide comfortable hot water for most uses. An older water heater or one that has been improperly maintained may have a temperture setting above 120°F. A higher temperature setting wastes energy and can be dangerous for small children.
