Water heater plays an important part in our day-to-day life. Not only does it heat the water for you but also the water heaters are environmentally friendly as well as it focuses on saving the water rather than wasting it.
Therefore, the water heater has been a common appliance in every household.
However, most people get confused about the run time of the water heater. Sometimes they will need the water heater for a long time which is why they get in a dilemma whether using it for a long time will create any problem or not.
Therefore, in this article, we have discussed how often a water heater runs.
How often does a water heater run?
The operating time of a water heater depends on the type of water heater. Most water heaters run on average four to five hours a day. However, in the case of tankless or standby water heaters, the operating time is around three hours to seven hours a day.
Water heaters can run more than three to five hours per day depending on the usage. However, the tankless water heaters or standby heaters can even run on average for six to eight hours.
Although the water heater experts have suggested that not to use the water heater for more than five hours per day.
Because overusing or overheating can cause different problems in the water heater. Moreover, overusing can cause internal problems like burning of coil or even overheating problems.
Usually, the water heater can run for a few minutes every hour per day. Although how many times you want your water heater to operate actually depends on the capability of your water heater.
Most water heaters can be run three to four times a day. Also, the tankless water heaters can even run six to eight times a day. It can be more than that if you are using the water heater for a small period of time.
However, the experts suggest not using your water heater more than ten times a day. In addition, if you are using the water heater for hours then it will be better to use it two to three times a day.
Tankless water heater:
Most tankless water heaters run about three to five hours or more than that in a day. The reason behind that is for being tankless because tankless water heaters only heat the water when the user demands it.
Also, a tankless water heater cuts heat loss ratio to a great extent. You can run a tankless water heater for more than three to four hours per day.
On average in most households, the tankless water heater runs around five to four to five hours per day. In addition, the tankless water heater can be a great solution if you are looking for a heater that can be run multiple times for a short period of time.
Gas water heater:
Well, when it comes to the efficiency of gas water it is slightly different than that of the tankless water heater. Normally, the gas water heater usually runs more than two to three hours per day.
But it also depends on the usage because if you want your gas heater to run for a short period of time then it can operate more than four to five hours a day. In addition, gas water heaters can be run five times per day depending on the usage.
Because the gas water heater operates for a short time then it can run four to fives times and if it runs for a long time then it can operate two to three times a day.
How often does a water heater run when not in use?
Well, depending on the usage a water heater can run on average four to five hours a day. But sometimes it can be more than that if the water heater doesn’t operate that often or is not in use more often.
Usually, the newly tankless water heater can run on average for four to five hours even in the case of constant use. However, in the case of the water heater not being used often then it can run for more than five to six hours per day.
Also, in the case of standby water heaters or gas water heaters, the operating time can be six to seven hours. It is because when the water heater is not in use more often than the efficiency of the heater increases to a great extent.
In addition, if you give enough time to your water heater to recover then it will give your more operating hours.
Do water heaters run all the time?
It is suggested by the experts that it is important to give your water heater the recovery time it needs. Because the more recovery time you will give to your water heater, the more serving hours it will provide.
Therefore, do not run your water heater all the time. Also, you cannot run your water heater all the time because after a certain time it will stop working.
Because if you run your water heater for a long period of time, then there can be issues like burning of the coil as well as overheating which might reduce the efficiency of the water heater.
Do water heaters turn off automatically?
Not all heaters turn off automatically rather gas water heater faces this issue more than often. Because the gas water heater gets turned off whenever the heater is not receiving the gas.
Also, there are other reasons which are there are problems with the pilot light as well as if the pilot light is not starting then the water heaters automatically get turned off. But in most cases, the water heater automatically gets turned off due to the inconsistency in the gas supply.
Why does my water heater keep filling?
There can be many reasons why your water heater keeps filling. Mostly it is because of internal problems but down below we have written all the possible reasons of why does your water heater keep filling:
Leak in the heater:
The most common reason behind your water heater keeps filling is due to the leak of water in the heater. For that reason, the heater is not filled up with water which is why your water heater will continuously keep filling the heater.
Overflow due to leaks in pipes:
Another reason can be is there are leaks in the central heating pipes. Because leak in those central heating pipes might cause overflow in the water heater.
Check on the switch:
Make sure you give a check on the on/off switch. As sometimes if you turn off the main switch of your water heater then it might not be actually turned off. Because the wire inside the socket might get burned off or torn off which is why even if you turn off the switch the water heater won’t stop flowing water.
Check out the header tank:
Make sure you check out the header tank because sometimes the water heater might get water from the header tank. Therefore, the water heater operates all the time and it sounds like it keeps filling up the heater.
How much does a water heater cost to run?
Running a water heater doesn’t cost a lot. But the cost mostly depends on the time it operates. Because if using a 3000-watt heater for two to fours a day then it will cost $1.37 per hour. That means it will cost around 37 dollars per month and 450 dollars per year.
However, if you use the water heater for more than five hours a day then the cost will be much higher. Because the more time you will use the water heater the higher the cost will be to run it.
Therefore, if you are on a budget and don’t spend much on your water heater monthly then it will be better if you use it for small hours per day.
What makes a water heater turn off?
The main reason that makes a water heater turn off is the fault in the thermocouple. Because it is the main component that detects if the pilot light is lit as well as it regulates the gas flow in the water heater.
Therefore, if there is any default in the thermocouple then the water heater will automatically.
Another reason can be the inconsistent flow of gas in the water heater. Because the inconsistent flow of gas will make the water heater turned off.
Final Thoughts
The water heater runs on average more than two to four hours per day. Moreover, the tankless water heater or standby water heater will run three hours per day depending on the usage. However, if you give your water heater enough recovery time then it can run even more than five hours per day.