Maintaining Your Water Heater for Many Years of Service
Everyone hopes their water heater will last a very long time and when it breaks, it’s easier to fix than to replace. Whether you are looking at an older water heater and want a few more good years or to maximize the lifespan of a new heater, you know that proper maintenance is the key. While you don’t have to be a water heater expert to take good care of your water heater, it’s important to know the right steps to take and when to call a maintenance professional to help keep your water heater in top condition.
Today, we’re here to cover the five water heater maintenance best practices.
1) Clear the Area Around Your Heater Heater
Having plenty of space around your water heater is a good thing for a couple of different reasons. First, a gas-powered water heater with a pilot light needs nearby oxygen to function correctly. Second, you don’t want to scorch anything you’re currently storing in your utility area. And third, if your water heater develops a leak you want as few things to be damaged as possible.
So the first place to start in water heater maintenance is simply to clear the area around your water heater. This will also make it easier to perform any future maintenance tasks.
2) Turn Down the Default Water Temperature
Most water heaters come set to 140 degrees F by default, but you don’t actually need your water to be that hot coming out of the tap. You can safe yourself a lot of long-term money on the power bills and make self-maintenance easier for your water heater simply by turning down the temperature setting.
Instead of 140, set your water heater to 120 F. This is still more than hot enough for a toasty hot shower and clean dishes but will use less power and heating cycles overall.
3) Put a Blanket on Your Water Heater
Your water heater has to work hard to keep a tank of hot water ready to go. Water cooling is the primary reason why the water heater turns itself on to re-heat the tank. This gives you a quick and easy way to significantly improve the performance and lifespan of your water heater: Put a blanket on it.
Water heater blankets are a special kind of quilted cloth item that fit directly over a cylinder-shaped water heater. Like a teapot-cozy, the blanket helps the water inside your water heater to stay hot so that your water heater unit doesn’t have to work so hard making sure there is always hot water ready to go.
4) Flush the Water Heater Once a Year
The constant cycle of heating and cooling water creates an interesting problem for water heaters that is easily solved with a little annual maintenance. Over time, minerals and other particles in your water settle to the bottom, forming a sediment right on top of the heating elements. If left too long, it can harden and damage your water heater.
That is why it’s important to flush your water heater about once a year by draining it and cleaning the sediment out from the bottom. This can be done DIY but most people prefer to rely on a professional water heater maintenance service.
5) Replace the Anode Rod
Finally, don’t forget your anode rode. If you haven’t heard of an anode rod, you’re not alone. Most people don’t know about this part of your water heater. The anode rod mildly electrolyzes your water which prevents it from rusting inside the water heater’s steel tank. The anode rod needs to be replaced every few years, as the electrolysis process creates a buildup of calcium carbonate on the rod.
If you want your water heater to last the longest possible amount of time providing delightfully hot water, all you need is a good understanding of water heater maintenance. With these tips and regular professional maintenance, your water heater should provide you with a good decade or two of high-quality service. For maintenance or repair of your water heater, contact us today!
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