Newbie Question - Water Heater on or off?

Hi Mike. Our water heater only works off electric. We tend to turn it on when we need the hot water. It doesn't take long to warm up.

Thanks Kerry. We will have an EHU so intend on using that. How long is not long btw? 30 mins?

Ditto here.  As soon as I wake up I flick the water heater switch and the kettle on and have a cup of tea and think about getting up while it warms up.  It goes off again until I need it perhaps for washing up later.

Great, thanks guys. I'll pop it on prior to when it's actually needed then.

Cheers, Mike

I leave it on all the time. The water heater is fitted with a thermostat which keeps the water at the required temperature. If the temp drops a bit the thermostat will enable the power to kick in for a very short time to bring the water back up to the right temp. 

Thermostats are fitted for that very purpose to only use small amounts of energy and give you hot water on demand. 

If you turn the water heater off it will use a lot of energy to reheat the water from cold and will take a fair time. 

It's been proved in the industry that letting the thermostat do its  job will use no more power, and maybe even less, than heating from cold.

I leave the water heater on all the time as well for reasons highlighted above.

We do the same as TW and W. It uses very little energy keeping it warm and if we turn it off we invariably forget to put it on, until we run the tap for washing the dishes, At this time of year though, with the type of heating we have, if we are heating the van we are also heating the water.

"...at this time of year, though...."

....not outside in your shorts, Steve.....

...weather unbelievable here near the Exe estuary.....at Budleigh Salterton yesterday, it really was Factor 20 weather....

Back OT......agree, in winter, the heating will do it for you....in summer (for the odd bit of washing up, just boil a kettle, or for a shower flick it on as part of the 'morning cuppa' routine...

I support TW's view and we do the same both in the van and at home.

peedee

OK, makes sense with the thermostat bit. I think then what i'll do is turn it off at night and flick it on in the morning as part of that cuppa routine and let it do it's thing. We only intend on being in the van for the morning and evening as plan on  being out for the daytime but i'll leave it on thorugh the day based on feedback given. Seems silly to leave it on all night even if it uses little energy as i'll definately not be getting up to do the dishes.

Thanks all!