Does Your Water Heater Need Maintenance?

August 23rd, 2019 Posted in Water Heaters
Comments Off on Does Your Water Heater Need Maintenance?

Has your water heater tank been flushed in the last year? Do you know if your anode rod needs to be replaced? Tank water heaters need routine maintenance to prevent premature wear and tear on components. If you are not sure when your water heater received preventive maintenance or if it has never been serviced, it is time to schedule a flush and inspection.

Why Flush a Water Heater?

Tank water heaters hold water heated to around 120 degrees 24/7, 365-days a year. The minerals in the water can collect inside the tank, causing corrosion. Flushing the tank once a year can allow some of these minerals to be released, helping lower corrosion in the tank. This is simple to do – most homeowners can flush their heater as a DIY task – but it can also be completed with routine maintenance.

Inspection of Components

If you schedule routine maintenance through your local plumber, they can flush your tank and do a complete inspection. This will include checking the anode rod to see it needs replacement. It will also include inspecting the pressure release valve – this is a common component that can fail and cause a major leak that can flood your home with hot water from your tank. Annual inspections can identify components that need replacement, reducing the chance of a water heater tank leak or other emergency repairs.

Routine maintenance can help extend the life of your water heater. With regular service, a tank water heater can last well over 10 years, even close to 20 years in some cases. Make sure to schedule your next water heater service if it has been more than a year since your unit has been flushed or inspected.

Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(404) 973-2471

, ,
Read More

Extend the Life of Your Water Heater With Annual Flushing

July 26th, 2012 Posted in Water Heaters
Comments Off on Extend the Life of Your Water Heater With Annual Flushing

A storage type water heater is one appliance that often does not get the regular maintenance it needs.  Water heaters usually last about 10 to 12 years before corrosion eats through the tank and the water heater starts leaking.  Water heater installation and repair can be expensive.  However, along with changing the sacrificial anodes when scheduled,  flushing the sediment out of your water heater annually will help it last longer and can even reduce the amount of energy you use to heat water.

No matter how good your municipal water supply, there will be a very small amount of sediment suspended in your tap water.  Unless you have a whole house filtration system that removes the sediment before the water goes into your water heater, this sediment will slowly accumulated at the bottom of your water tank.  In some cases, so much sediment accumulates over the years that it noticeably reduces the capacity of the tank.

The sediment layer can also act as an insulator that makes your water heater work harder to heat up the water and maintain the temperature.  In all cases, the sediment and minerals accumulating at the bottom of the water heater tank will accelerated corrosion and cause the water heater to fail prematurely.

By flushing the water heater annually, you remove the sediment build up and avoid such problems.  Water heaters have a drain valve at the base of the unit for just this purpose.  You can hook a garden hose to the drain valve and drain out the sediment from the tank.  Be sure to turn off the electricity or gas to the water heater before beginning and follow your manufacturer’s instructions to avoid getting scalded by hot water.

Flushing the sediment out of your water heater annually and changing the anodes when scheduled can help your water heater last 20 years or more.

, ,
Read More

Flushing Your Water Heater

March 14th, 2012 Posted in Water Heaters
Comments Off on Flushing Your Water Heater

Water heaters typically need very little maintenance to provide good service year after year.  Until it quits working or starts leaking, most homeowners don’t give much thought to their water heaters.  However, regularly flushing your water heater can extend its life and improve its water heating efficiency.

Over time, dirt, rust, scale and other debris settles to the bottom of your water heater and creates a sediment layer.  This sediment layer makes your heating element work hard to heat the water in your hot water storage tank.  It also takes up some volume inside the tank and if the sediment layer gets deep enough, it can cause a noticeable reduction in the amount of hot water available for use by you and your family.  In addition, bacteria can grow in the sediment layer and cause your hot water to be smelly.

Flushing your water heater involves draining the water out of the tank through the drain valve, refilling the tank, and repeating the process until all of the sediment has been flushed from the water heater.  The process requires turning off the gas and electricity to the water heater, disconnecting and reconnecting the inlet line, and opening and closing the inlet water valve.  Once the storage tank has been flushed, everything has to be re-connected, the tank filled, and the electricity and gas turned back on.

Unless you are very comfortable handling the job yourself, flushing your water heater is best done by your local plumber.  They are the experts in water heater repairs and maintenance.

, ,
Read More

Find Local Company | Featured Plumbers| Find Local Plumbers| Plumbers Directory