Insulating a H20 heater

Save energy/Save money #4 installing a insulating blanket on a water heater. The existing pipes should be insulated as well. A return pipe can be used on long runs,expansion of hot water will cause it to return back to the heater thereby providing hot water as soon as you open a faucet. On demand water heaters are also suited for long runs but cost twice as much as a conventional water heater. Comming soon a solar water pre heating system, may reduce energy costs by 50%.

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Howto & Style

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• save
• money
• hot
• water
• insulation

[tsimshianman]

No doubt this will help slow heat transfer but it doesn't actually stop heat transfer. Also when you put a reflective product up against the heat source you no longer have reflection. You now have direct backside conduction so all that remains to slow the heat transfer is the thin layer of fiberglass. The tested R-Value in a lab is irrelevant to field results unless the testing apparatus simulates heat transfer via backside conduction. Also compressing this material will reduce the R-value.

[rkellyforums]

What was the R-Value of the water heater and what's the R-value of the blanket?