Home Page link

Energy Smart Water Heater and Timer use.

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Energy Smart Water Heater and Timer use. Clearfield Consumer 11-28-2006
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by Clearfield Consumer on November 28, 2006, 10:40 pm


I recently moved into a home that has a new Whirlpool Energy Smart
water heater that uses the little computer control box and is claimed
to save electricty.

http://www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/how/es_electric_how.php

This water heater is also hooked up to a timer. The previous owner had
the control set to "Smart" in which case the water heater operates like
a conventional unit and also had it on a timer.


I am under the impression that a timer on a water heater this new is of
little use and that it will also interfear (sp?) with the operation of
the Energy Smart circuit. I am thinking that setting the control to
"Energy Smart " mode and not useing the timer would be a more
economical choice.

Should I disconnect the timer and let the energy smart circuit do it's
job or can they both be used together?


Posted by C & E on November 29, 2006, 9:20 am



>I recently moved into a home that has a new Whirlpool Energy Smart
> water heater that uses the little computer control box and is claimed
> to save electricty.
>
> http://www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/how/es_electric_how.php
>
> This water heater is also hooked up to a timer. The previous owner had
> the control set to "Smart" in which case the water heater operates like
> a conventional unit and also had it on a timer.
>
>
> I am under the impression that a timer on a water heater this new is of
> little use and that it will also interfear (sp?) with the operation of
> the Energy Smart circuit. I am thinking that setting the control to
> "Energy Smart " mode and not useing the timer would be a more
> economical choice.
>
> Should I disconnect the timer and let the energy smart circuit do it's
> job or can they both be used together?
>

Canning the timer would be my vote as well. Why get in the way of the
built-in optimizer. It's just a guess but I'm guessing that the timer was
installed with an older tank in place. With the new tank's built-in Smart
Circuit the timer is an unnecessary dinosaur.



Posted by jolt on November 29, 2006, 11:04 am



>I recently moved into a home that has a new Whirlpool Energy Smart
> water heater that uses the little computer control box and is claimed
> to save electricty.
>
> http://www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/how/es_electric_how.php
>
> This water heater is also hooked up to a timer. The previous owner had
> the control set to "Smart" in which case the water heater operates like
> a conventional unit and also had it on a timer.
>
>
> I am under the impression that a timer on a water heater this new is of
> little use and that it will also interfear (sp?) with the operation of
> the Energy Smart circuit. I am thinking that setting the control to
> "Energy Smart " mode and not useing the timer would be a more
> economical choice.
>
> Should I disconnect the timer and let the energy smart circuit do it's
> job or can they both be used together?
>

FYI the tanks that are branded with the Whirlpool TM are made by
US/Craftmaster. Having warranted two of the early runs of the control your
water heater (two different tanks) uses IMO you'll be better served by
disabling the timer control. The control monitors the tank temperature with
a thermister adjusting the element use in an effort to save energy.
Switching the power on and off to a solid state control "could" shorten the
life of the control while serving little practical savings.

All my dealings with US/Craftmaster's customer service in their Johnson City
Tennessee service center has been quick and responsive. They handle tank
problems by issuing a service request number that you take to Lowes along
with the water heater and do a simple exchange. For DYIs the programs and
call center they have in place are likely second to none.



Posted by Mark on November 29, 2006, 12:07 pm



Clearfield Consumer wrote:
> I recently moved into a home that has a new Whirlpool Energy Smart
> water heater that uses the little computer control box and is claimed
> to save electricty.
>
> http://www.whirlpoolwaterheaters.com/how/es_electric_how.php
>
> This water heater is also hooked up to a timer. The previous owner had
> the control set to "Smart" in which case the water heater operates like
> a conventional unit and also had it on a timer.
>
>
> I am under the impression that a timer on a water heater this new is of
> little use and that it will also interfear (sp?) with the operation of
> the Energy Smart circuit. I am thinking that setting the control to
> "Energy Smart " mode and not useing the timer would be a more
> economical choice.
>
> Should I disconnect the timer and let the energy smart circuit do it's
> job or can they both be used together?


Do you have OFF PEAK or TIME of DAY or PEAK DEMAD type of electric
service?

These services charge less for electricity depending upon when you use
it. If you have this kind of service, the timer may work to keep the
water heater off during the "expensive" parts of the day....

Mark


Posted by Clearfield Consumer on November 29, 2006, 2:53 pm



Thanks for the replies.

While I do have "Time Of Day" service, someone in another group
mentioned that the water heaters Smart control unit "learns" to adapt
to useage and the timer may be interfering with it's ability to do that
as everytime it cuts power to the water heater it's also cutting power
to the smart unit and it will thus reset and have to relearn usage each
day and it may never be able to do that properly with the constant
power on/power off cycling which sounds logical to me so I disconnected
it this morning. I'm assuming that letting it go about it's business as
designed will save me as much or more as my TOD rate, yes?


Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
gas water heater timer January 10, 2006, 4:46 pm
Water Heater Timer September 27, 2006, 5:56 pm
Water heater timer - what's better September 17, 2007, 10:11 am
Can I put a timer on a basic gas water heater? July 16, 2006, 3:31 pm
Re: Fun with a Kill-A-Watt (and a Water heater on a timer question) December 29, 2005, 2:28 am
Timer switch on power vent water heater? October 25, 2006, 4:42 pm
gas vs electric water heater energy cost. September 21, 2005, 9:35 pm
New Water Heater: Supplied With Energy Restriction Perhaps ? Also, Question On Inlet Valve For November 18, 2005, 8:00 pm
kingshield 7 day immersion heater timer July 10, 2006, 4:26 am
Washing machine timer and timer motor question. April 22, 2007, 10:06 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap