Sunday, August 25, 2013

Basic Water Heater Maintenance

By Brian Winters


Extend the life of your water heater by performing regular maintenance. If you want to avoid spending too much on repairs, contact a specialist to help you inspect your unit properly. You'll be surprised how much money you can save by keeping your tank in good condition.

Before carrying out any repairs, do not forget to shut down its heating source. This is important to prevent accidents from happening during the process. Turn off the circuit breaker if you have an electric unit or the gas supply valve if you have a gas-fired heater. Do not forget to shut down the cold water supply valve to prevent water from entering the tank. This is essential to be able to inspect your unit thoroughly. Remind everyone in your household not to use the heater up until you're finished inspecting it.

Check the internal components of your tank and lift the anode in it. This rod is responsible for absorbing all the sediments inside, protecting your tank from rust and corrosion. You may have a deteriorated anode rod once you see metal wires around it. If you don't take action immediately, expect your water to get rusty and smell bad at the same time. Do not let your family ingest contaminated water since this can lead to serious health problems.

For highly corrosive water, use an aluminum rod to lessen the sediment buildup. If you have a soft water, experts recommend using a magnesium rod instead. Fight the effects of sulfur smell by using a rod made of zinc. When in doubt, ask help from a specialist for professional advice.

Having burnt out lower heating element and hearing strange tank noises are indications that you have a sediment buildup in your tank. Letting rust and dirt sit inside the tank can cause the heating element not to heat water. For gas water heaters, sediments can settle at the bottom near the burner plate. When this happens, the internal tank may get covered up by superheated steam. You can solve this problem by draining and flushing your tank regularly.

It is important to look for signs of leaks in the early stage to prevent further damage. Water usually leaks if you have loose fittings and valve. Use a Teflon tape to wrap around the threading before tightening the pipes with a wrench. Replace badly damaged pipes to avoid developing rust stains in other areas of the water heater.

If you want to cut back on your electric bill, you might as well consider buying a replacement unit. Nowadays, water heaters are designed to be more efficient, meeting your hot-water demands while consuming less energy as it used to. You can always consult a specialist if you need help in choosing the best water heater for your household.

By following the tips listed above, performing water heater maintenance shouldn't be so difficult. Stop spending too much on repairs and keep your water heater in its tip-top shape. Just in case the problem gets too complicated for you to handle, call a specialist right away.




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