"Gary G you make me feel good, my house is 1000 sf larger and I too use on average There are a lot of variables involved: home construction, insulation, heating/cooling degree days, indoor t-stat setpoint, system efficiency, air circulation, lifestyle, etc. In the summer, the sun bakes the house. I try and move air with ceiling fans (one in each room) and by running the air handler fan to even out temps between the 2 floors. Summer setpoint is 75 to 76 when home, with a setback to 80F when at work. Electric consumption is about 1100 kw-hrs in the summer. The heat pump has no problem cooling the house on the hottest, most humid, days. Winter setpoint is 68 or 69F. Heat pump provides primary heating down to the low 20's. My electric consumption is highest in winter becuase of the auxillary electric heating strips in the air handler that suppliment the heat pump. Take care.

If you are handy... ONLY, THIS IS RISKY. IT IS ELECTRICITY! You can splice in a regular type alarm clock (with the hands NOT digital) to a leg of the electric after the thermostat or when it leaves the heater. Start the hands at midnight. As the HW turns on and off the hand will progress. This will give you a running TIME that the HW is on > AND USING ELECTRICITY! Multiply out by your KWH. NOTE: use only one leg of power NOT BOTH or you will fry the clock (assuming 220/240 not 110/120 volts). If you look at the label OR how many circuit breakers you have, this will tell you how much vlotage and "legs"(power wires - 1 or 2) tapalmer99b1@aol.com

What did you wish to know or hear? I can tell you that Defender means it has a federally required safety system that acts as a flame arrester. No big deal there, since all heaters 50 gallon and under require this. .58 Energy factor is the lowest in the industry and manufactured today. Your heater is the basic plumber version of an atmospheric vented, 50 gallon water heater that shall perform as spec sheets go and last as long as any other would under your installed conditions. ItÂs not high recovery, long life, longest warranty, or best insulated, itÂs just a quality hot water heater for the money spent.

Thanks again for all the good feedback. Moving the water heater out of the bathroom will be a last resort if we just can't figure out a solution to keep it all in there, but I'm determined to try my best first. The paper cutouts help with trying out different arrangements. My preferred option would be New #1, even if it makes the plumbing more complex. The water heater could be enclosed and have some towel storage above it, too. Using an 18" deep vanity should leave plenty of space to walk through (maybe I wasn't very clear in my original post, the width is 6' to 6'6"( that wall isn't in right now), so it is flexible where exactly it will land. I tried to use some actual product dimensions. Let me know if I am missing anything. New Option 3 is just a more elaborate version of the previous idea. This is really the only one I can see that could have a plumbing wall and still keep everything in the bathroom. A sliding door in the shower should work better than a hinged one, it will be a tight squeeze, but should work, at least on paper..... Option 3 is the one mentioned by wdccruise, where the water heater gets ejected. Critique away if you have anything I should know :)