Optimizing the Performance of Your Water Heater

Your hot water heater is a part of your daily life, even though you don’t realize it, but unfortunately many people don’t think about their water heater until something goes wrong. Thankfully there are some things you can do to avoid major problems with it. Performing regular maintenance on your hot water heater can even extend its life. There are two main things you should know about if you want to keep your hot water heater in good working order. Both of these two maintenance concerns should be taken care of one to two times per year.

Of course before you begin to work on the hot water heater, make sure that you shut off the electricity to the unit. Just flip the circuit breaker that feeds the heater. Also shut down the inlet that lets water come into the water heater and make sure that you wear the appropriate protective gear, including gloves and safety goggles.

Relief Valve

Start by checking the pressure relief valve. Just place a buck under the drainpipe that attaches to the valve. Then pull the lever to let the water run out of the pipe. In some cases water vapor may escape. If nothing comes out of the pipe when you pull the lever, it’s time to drain the water heater’s tank and call in a plumber to replace the valve. It is not recommended that you handle a job like this on your own unless you really know what you are doing.

Remove Sediment from Tank

The second regular maintenance thing you should take care of is flushing the sediment out of the tank. Of course you still need to turn off the electricity and the water running to the unit before you begin working on it. You might want to wait until the water inside the tank has had time to cool before you take steps to drain the tank. It may take a few hours for the water to cool down enough so that you can safely drain the tank.

After you drain it, run a hose from an outside drain and connected it to the drain of the faucet. Then turn on the hot water at one faucet for a few minutes so that some air can get into the tank of the water heater. Then open the faucet drain so that the tank can drain all the way out. It’s not a bad idea to flip on and off the cold water inlet a few times so that all of the sediment can drain out. When you finally see clear water running out of the hose outside, it’s time to close everything up, get rid of the hose, and turn your water heater back on.

Any homeowner can easily extend the life of their hot water heater with these simple tips. Everyone who owns a home should know how to do these two very simple tasks. Also be sure that you call in a plumber the moment you notice that something isn’t working right. It’s easier to fix a problem while it is still small rather than wait until it has become serious.

Call Scott English Plumbing today for installation or service on your water heater. They also install and service garbage disposals, bathtubs and showers, and water softeners and filters. The plumbers at Scott English Plumbing are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they always offer fair and reasonable rates. It’s their mission to treat all customers with integrity and honesty. Let Scott English Plumbing show you what it’s like to experience quality plumbing service at a low, flat rate.