Water heaters do a lot of work for you. They provide warm baths, clean clothes, and help in washing your utensils. The average water heater lasts between 8 to 12 years; This is if it's properly maintained. Maintaining your water heater is critical for many reasons. The correct maintenance can extend the lifetime of your heater and improve the overall energy-efficiency of your water heater. This ensures it goes a long way towards reducing your overall energy expenses.
Additionally, it can also lower the likelihood of breakdowns. This ensures minimal disruptions to your daily life. So, where do you start? Below are some maintenance tips to extend the lifespan of your water heater.
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Professional Inspection
If you have technical skills in home improvement projects, it's easy to inspect your water heater. However, obtaining the services of an expert will be far more efficient. A professional will inspect your water heater resource to ensure it's running efficiently. These experts have a wealth of experience necessary to ensure they'll spot any potential issues. Identifying the problem in the early stages is essential because it becomes easy to fix it. This also ensures serious problems don't affect you in the future. However, there are different brands and types of water heaters. This means you need to understand how to maintain your specific water heater. Ensure the expert you hire can fix your type of water heater. When hiring, ask the technician if they have experience fixing your type of water heater. This ensures nothing goes wrong during the maintenance. You can also ask for client testimonials and ask about their experience with the technician.
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Try a Mini-Flush
You can prevent rust and corrosion by removing the sediment from the bottom of the tank. This also ensures the energy efficiency of the unit. While a complete flush of the water heater is effective, you will need to shut down the water heater. This is where a mini-flush comes in. It works effectively and takes less time. A mini-flush can also be done while the water heater is running. First, place a bucket under the drain valve (this is found near the water heater tank base). Next, turn the valve counterclockwise to release 1-to-2 gallons of water into your bucket. Drain valves come in different makes, and you need to check if yours has a handle. If not, check for a short stem with a slot for a flathead screwdriver. Be mindful of the water as it will be hot. Finally, close the valve by turning it clockwise. If the valve fails to open, contact a plumber for maintenance.
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Reduce the Temperature
Professional plumbers advise homeowners to keep the temperature of their water heaters low. There are many benefits to this: it reduces the risk of scalding. Energy expenses are lowered. High heat causes water heaters to break down quickly. Finally, children are more likely to be scalded by high water temperatures. However, it can be challenging to determine what temperature is ideal for your water heater. You don't want to set the temperature too low as this can breed pathogens. If you set the temperature at 122 degrees, most pathogens perish in 80 to 120 minutes. If you want to reduce the water heater temperature for a gas water heater, lower the dial. Reducing the temperature of an electric water heater is more complex. First, start by cutting power to the water heater. Check for a metal panel that covers the thermostat. Next, remove the access panel. Adjust the temperature using a flathead screwdriver. After adjusting the temperature, ensure you replace the thermostat cover.
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Inspect and Test the T&P Valve
The T&P (temperature and pressure) valve is an essential safety feature of your water heater. It can sense when high pressure or temperature builds up inside the water tank. When this happens, it switches on automatically to relieve the pressure. Without a functional T&P valve, your water heater is at risk of explosion. The T&P valve is usually located at the top of the heater tank. Typically, it has a discharge tube that extends down towards the bottom of the tank. To inspect the valve, place a bucket under the tube connected to the T&P valve. Next, raise the lever of the valve to open it manually. This releases hot water through the tube. Allow the water to flow for a minute and let go of the lever. If your T&P valve fails to open and release water, replace it.
Your water heater needs all the maintenance it can get for optimal efficiency. Remember, your water heater acts as a lifeline support system to your household. Since you depend on hot water for most household activities to keep your water heater running in the best condition. The above steps are efficient to maintain your water heater. However, if you can't handle a problem by yourself, call in a plumber technician.
