I have an 80 gallon water heater. It's fairly new, but the energy
savings label says that it's off the scale on the bad side of energy
costs. And it does feel slightly warm to the touch.

I would like to put a blanket on it, but the only ones I can find are
only for 60 gallon heaters or smaller. I've tried Lowes, Home Depot,
Ace, Sears, Amazon.com and probably some other places that I've
forgotten. I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.

Where can I get a blanket for an 80 gallon heater?

Mike McSwell

wrote:
I have an 80 gallon water heater. It's fairly new, but the energy
savings label says that it's off the scale on the bad side of energy
costs. And it does feel slightly warm to the touch.

I would like to put a blanket on it, but the only ones I can find are
only for 60 gallon heaters or smaller. I've tried Lowes, Home Depot,
Ace, Sears, Amazon.com and probably some other places that I've
forgotten. I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.

Where can I get a blanket for an 80 gallon heater?

Mike McSwell

Can't you just wrap it with a big blanket or comforter?

I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.(snip)

Actually, it sounds like a good idea. I did it myself and it works
fine. Just have the kraft paper outside, and I use some slightly snug
carpet thread all the way around as a backup to the duct tape.-Jitney

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have an 80 gallon water heater. It's fairly new, but the energy
savings label says that it's off the scale on the bad side of energy
costs. And it does feel slightly warm to the touch.

I would like to put a blanket on it, but the only ones I can find are
only for 60 gallon heaters or smaller. I've tried Lowes, Home Depot,
Ace, Sears, Amazon.com and probably some other places that I've
forgotten. I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.

Where can I get a blanket for an 80 gallon heater?

Mike McSwell

I went out an bought a 5 foot roll ~25 feet long of the silver foil stuff.
Wrapped the water heater with that top down. Missing the bottom foot or so.
Hot water rises anyway. Mine was electric so doing the top was a breeze.
Becareful if your working with gas. I used the foil duct tape cause it
sticks and stays.

20% of home energy costs are represented by the energy used to heat water.
Wrap it up and don't forget the dischage piping.
Put R38 around my electric tank rockwood insulation bats, hard to tell if
their are bonafide reductions in costs, but it makes me feel better.
"SQLit" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have an 80 gallon water heater. It's fairly new, but the energy
savings label says that it's off the scale on the bad side of energy
costs. And it does feel slightly warm to the touch.

I would like to put a blanket on it, but the only ones I can find are
only for 60 gallon heaters or smaller. I've tried Lowes, Home Depot,
Ace, Sears, Amazon.com and probably some other places that I've
forgotten. I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.

Where can I get a blanket for an 80 gallon heater?

Mike McSwell

I went out an bought a 5 foot roll ~25 feet long of the silver foil stuff.
Wrapped the water heater with that top down. Missing the bottom foot or
so.
Hot water rises anyway. Mine was electric so doing the top was a breeze.
Becareful if your working with gas. I used the foil duct tape cause it
sticks and stays.

Since water heaters are about the same size, how about two fortys? You'll
have plenty of overlap. Seeing as how the capacity is proportional to the
square of the radius, while the circumference is directly proportional to
the radius.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have an 80 gallon water heater. It's fairly new, but the energy
savings label says that it's off the scale on the bad side of energy
costs. And it does feel slightly warm to the touch.

I would like to put a blanket on it, but the only ones I can find are
only for 60 gallon heaters or smaller. I've tried Lowes, Home Depot,
Ace, Sears, Amazon.com and probably some other places that I've
forgotten. I suppose I could make my own out of attic insulation, but
that seems like a Bad Idea.

Where can I get a blanket for an 80 gallon heater?

Mike McSwell

Thanks to all for the ideas. Guess I'll see about making my own.

(I'm replying to myself, but I'm thanking all of you!)

Mike McSwell

Regarding energy savings for water heaters, a thought occurred to me.
Isn't a lot more heat lost via convective air flow from the burner in
the bottom up through the heater and out the chimney after the burner
shuts off? I would think that heat loss would be a lot bigger than any
heat loss coming out of the already insulated tank walls.

The water heater I'm dealing with is electric, so this is not an issue
for me. I guess I should check the non-return valve in the inlet to
the water heater, though, as I do notice the cold water at the tap can
be quite warm...