Water Heater Maintenance: Important Information You Need to Know

Most home owners don’t think too much about their water heater until it’s on the fritz, but regular maintenance is important if you want your water heater to last as long as possible. Of course the price of putting in a new water heater depends on a number of different things. Your location, the type of water heater you choose, and how energy efficient it is are all factors in how much it costs. Nonetheless, replacing a water heater is simply expensive, so the more you can do to make it last a long time, the better off you are. Here are several maintenance tips to help you extend your water heater’s life.

• • • Take a look at the anode rod about every 3 to 6 months. This rod is inside of the water heater so that it will corrode instead of allowing the interior lining of the appliance to corrode. By monitoring this rod, you will have a good idea of how things look inside the water heater. If you use a water softener, the anode rod could corrode more quickly than if you don’t. Remember that once the rod is gone, the corrosion will attack the inside of the water heater’s tank, so it’s important to keep an eye on it regularly.

• • • To check the anode rode, simply remove it from the top of the tank. It usually screws in. Before the rod is allowed to reach all the way down to where you can see the wire, you must replace it. Usually a new rod costs no more than $50.

• • • Make sure that you flush the tank out regularly as well. This is because the minerals and other sediment that occurs naturally in the water will build up over time in the bottom of the tank. As it builds up, the sediment creates problems for the heating element and can also cause damage to the tank’s bottom. Flushing your water heater regularly will push out the sediment and enable the appliance to operate efficiently.

Of course every hot water heater will break down at some point. When it does finally come time to replace it, make sure that you have a licensed, insured and bonded plumber. Check with the Better Business Bureau and the local licensing agency to ensure that the plumber you select is qualified to handle the issue. Also ask how often they deal with water heaters because some plumbers handle problems like clogged pipes much more often than they do appliance problems.

Let the experts at Scott English Plumbing help you install and maintain your water heater. They understand that plumbing problems don’t just happen during normal business hours, so they offer complete 24 hour service every day of the week, even on holidays. At Scott English Plumbing, they always strive to please their customers and meet their needs at an affordable price. Call Scott English Plumbing today for help with all of your plumbing installation and regular maintenance needs.