You know how the light bill does always come high and you does wonder where all that electricity going?
Nine times out of ten it is the water heater.
Most homes in Trinidad and Tobago have that same electric tank heater on the wall in the bathroom or the utility room.
State Select. Rheem. Bradford White. Whatever the brand, they all work the same way.
They heat the water and they keep it hot. All day. Whether anybody home or not.
You leave for work at seven in the morning. That heater still running. Everybody in school by eight. Still running.
You reach back home at six in the evening. Heater was running the whole time.
That is electricity you paying for and nobody using.
Which water heaters work with this solution
Before we go any further, let us make sure this applies to your home.
- Electric storage tank heaters (Ideal)
If you have one of those big tank heaters, brands like State Select, Bradford White or Rheem in any size from 20 to 66 gallons, this solution works perfectly for you.
- Tankless electric heaters
If you have a Stiebel Eltron or Aqua Power unit that heats water on demand, you do not have the same standby waste.
But if you are the type to forget and leave it on, the smart switch still gives you a schedule and a remote control from your phone.
Set it to turn off automatically at 10:00 PM every night so it never runs while everybody sleeping.
No more waking up and wondering if you left it on.
- Point of use shower heaters
Those little heater heads only run when you're in the shower so scheduling is not really the point.
But you can still set it to turn off automatically at a certain time at night.
If somebody forgot to flip the switch after their shower, it cuts off on its own.
And if you leaving the house and not sure, just open the app and turn it off from wherever you are.
How the switch and your heater work together
Your electric storage tank heater has a built in thermostat. That thermostat is the ceiling. It tells the heater the maximum temperature to reach.
The 40A Heavy-Duty Smart Switch is the gatekeeper. It decides when the heater is even allowed to run.
Here is how a typical day looks in real life.
- 5:00 AM Switch turns ON. Heater starts warming the tank before anyone wakes up.
- 8:00 AM Switch turns OFF. Everyone showered. Tank is fully heated.
- 12:00 PM Switch still OFF. The insulation in your State or Rheem tank is holding that heat without using a single watt.
- 5:00 PM Switch turns ON. Tank tops back up in minutes because it never got cold.
- 9:00 PM Switch turns OFF. Done for the night.
Hot water when you need it. Nothing running when you do not.
The best schedule for a T&T household
The morning and evening household
- ON: 5:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
- ON: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. OFF: Everything else.
The tank held most of the heat from the morning, the evening window only needs a few minutes to top back up. You are not reheating from scratch.
Rainy season adjustment
During the rainy season the WASA water coming into your tank is a little cooler than usual.
Add an extra 15 minutes to your ON window during those months and your shower will be just as hot as in the dry season.
What actually changes when you install it
Your morning stays exactly the same. Hot water ready when you wake up.
What changes is everything in between. The heater is off while the house is empty. It is not running all afternoon for no reason. It is not going all night while everybody sleeping.
Going on a trip? Turn it off completely from your phone before you leave. No driving back. No calling somebody to check.
One device. One setup. Your bill goes down every month from that point on.
Bonus tip: Do not let your tank heater run dry
Here is something a lot of people in T&T find out the hard way.
When WASA cuts and your supply tank runs empty, your electric tank heater does not know that. It keeps running with no water flowing through.
That causes overheating, melted parts and damaged heating elements. Sometimes a full tank replacement.
The simple fix is to pair your 40A Heavy-Duty Smart Switch with a Smart Tank Level Monitor.
The monitor watches your supply tank level in real time and sends an alert to your phone when it gets low.
You can automate the level monitor to turn off the heater from your phone before any damage happens.
Your heater stays protected. And you avoid an expensive repair bill during a WASA cut.
SHOP THE 40A SMART HEAVY-DUTY SMART SWITCH — 299.99 TTD
SHOP THE SMART TANK LEVEL MONITOR — 674.99 TTD
Nationwide delivery in 1 to 3 days.
Need help installing it? Book our installation service.