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Having no power is annoying. But, what’s worse is not having hot water running!
The water can stay hot in the water heater without power for about two days.
This depends on which material your tank is made of because it only affects insulators. An inexpensive tank may not keep your water hot for a long time.
As the hot water is used, it is replaced by cold water. The longevity of your hot water depends on these factors:
- The level of insulation on the water heater. Some people add an extra layer of insulation over the heater to prolong its use.
- The size of the tank.
- The exterior temperature, as it acts to cool down the water.
- The temperature of the hot water when the power is cut out.
Types Of Water Heaters
The main factor to consider here is the type of water heater you have. Different water heaters have different fuel consumptions. To break this down:
Gas Water Heaters
This type of water heater might be the only option that works during a power outage. But, this depends on if your gas water heater uses a pilot light to ignite the gas.
Owners assume that it’ll work during a power outage, because, well, it’s fueled by gas. This is true to an extent.
Gas water heaters that have a standing pilot, don’t need electricity as the pilot light burns constantly despite a power outage.
And as for gas heaters that rely on electronic ignition won’t work during a power outage and will only use stored hot water for a few days.
Electric Water Heaters
As the name implies, these water heaters are fueled by electricity, meaning that they won’t continue to heat water when the power goes out.
Electric water heaters store water, so even if the water heater stops heating water, the stored water could last for a few days.
Immersion Heaters
Immersion water heaters use electricity. It works similarly to that of a kettle. Within the hot water cylinder, which is the main body that stores the water, is an electric resistance heater element. This element is “immersed” in the water.
On average, it takes about one to two hours to heat an average immersion heater from cold water.
The advantage is that it can heat up a large quantity of water much quicker than the above-mentioned heaters. Meaning, that a large quantity of hot water will be stored during a power outage.
However, it can get quite costly. And, unless there’s a power source, the heater will not work.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many factors to consider before coming to a conclusion. It all depends on the type of water heater you have.
So, be careful when choosing your water heater since not having hot water running can get quite frustrating!
