Water Heaters and Teaching Kids About Conservation

Kids have no idea how water heaters work or how important they are to the family. They just know that when the time comes to take a shower, the temperature is nice and warm and they feel comfortable. In order to get kids to see the bigger picture and understand conservation, parents need to explain how the equipment works, what it costs to use, and how the kids can cut back on some of their old habits that tend to be wasteful.

Shorter Showers

Parents know exactly what is required to run the water heaters in their homes. In order to help children begin to conserve, consider setting a time up on the sink. When the child gets in, he or she can let the timer begin. Give each one a set amount of time to use. This ensures that everyone is aware and not wasting time with the shower on. Also, if there are multiple people in the house, the time ensures that everyone will get his or her fair time in the shower at a warm temperature.

Paying Attention When the Faucet is On

How many times have you seen the kids brushing their teeth or talking to each other with the faucet steady flowing? They choose the hot handle and just take their time. They are completely unaware that this affects the water heaters and the amount that that family has to use before it begins to heat up again. Explain to the kids that they need to turn the faucet off when it is not in use. When they are scrubbing their faces or brushing their teeth, there is no need for the faucet to be running at full blast.

Saving Money

While kids should begin to understand that they need to be responsible and conserve resources, they may not understand the big picture. They can't imagine being without and they just assume that there is an unlimited supply of everything that they need. To help them see what is going on, consider talking to them about what it takes to use water heaters. It is not just about what comes out to help them wash and clean up. It costs money to bring in heat and make sure that the temperature is comfortable. It is never to early to teach them how the home runs, which pieces of equipment make things run smoothly and how they can find small ways to conserve.

Your kids don't need to know exactly how much water heaters cost or exactly how they work, but they should understand that no matter how old they are, they can be conscious to conserve resources and avoid waste.