Water Heater Maintenance Tips for Homeowners
Water heater maintenance is crucial to ensure the safety and efficiency of your home’s hot water system. At Herrmann Services, our expert plumbers understand the importance of preventive maintenance on a hot water heater and are skilled in repairing, servicing, and replacing water heaters. There are a few tips that we’d like to share with homeowners that will help ensure your safety, save you money, and increase the lifespan of your water heater. Follow these simple steps to keep your water heater in top condition and avoid the inconvenience of a cold shower.
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Check Your Water Heater Temperature
One of the biggest mistakes we see is that the water heater is set at a higher temperature than is safe. The default setting for most manufacturers is 140°F. If you’ve never adjusted the temperature on your water heater, this is probably where it is set. This is especially important in homes with small children who have a tendency to turn the water on and stick their hands under the faucet without testing the temperature first. Scalding water can cause serious harm. We recommend 120°F at the fixture or lower to keep kids safe. Setting your temperature lower will save you money as well.
Get a Water Heater Tune-Up
Most homeowners don’t realize that a water heater tune-up will not only help with your water heater’s efficiency, it will also extend the life of the unit. Over time, sediment builds up in your water heater. This sediment settles on the bottom, where, incidentally, the burner sits. The sediment insulates this burner and makes it harder for it to heat the water in the tank. During a maintenance check, He/she will also to flush the sediment out of your tank.
Whether you have gas or electric water heater, minerals in your water will build up in your tank causing corrosion. Tanks are equipped with an anode rod specifically for preventing rust. The rods are made of steel and usually coated with magnesium or aluminum. Your plumber will replace the rod when necessary as well as check for faulty or leaking temperature and pressure valves and replace them. A tune-up also includes cleaning the burner on a gas water heater. Having the burner cleaned annually will extend the life of the water heater.
Please feel free to pass these tips along to family, friends, and neighbors.