Don't Drain the Bath Tub (Quickly)             

When the temperature dips in the northern climes, anything that helps keep a house warm is welcomed by most home owners. Yet many people are quick to pull the plug in their tub when they or their children finish a nice warm bath. That's like flushing money down the drain if you think about it.

Warm water releases its heat to the air around it, warming the air in the process. The longer you leave that warm water sitting in the tub, the longer it has to surrender that heat. You've already paid for it when your water heater warmed it up. Why not use it for this secondary purpose? If you send it down the drain, it will still give off its heat, but it won't be helping you keep your house warm in the process. Unless you have children young enough for it to pose a drowning hazard (in which case, safety must come first), the best thing to do is to just leave it and forget it. You can drain it after it has gone cold to the touch, say at bed-time or maybe in the morning.

One added advantage to this practice is that winter air tends to be much drier than most people like. Your warm bath water sitting in the tub will not only heat the air around it, but it will also help return some moisture to it, which is an added health benefit for your family. Another reader suggests cleaning your tub while the water is sitting in it to maximize your savings and to complete your household chores more efficiently.

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