Extending Your Water Heaters Lifespan
Follow these tips for extending your water heaters’ lifespan. Did you know that your water heater makes your beloved hot showers possible? It’s true! While we take our water heaters for granted, we’d quickly notice if they stopped working.
It is expensive to repair or replace a vital system. Therefore, it is wise to do what we can to extend its life. Maximizing its lifespan is the most sensible action.
Good news: regular water heater maintenance can help it stay in excellent condition. Maintaining your water heater ensures you have access to hot water every day. Below are some simple yet effective tips for preserving your system’s lifespan:
Inspect the Gas Line
Safety is our number one priority. Regularly checking your gas and water heater is essential to keep you and your family safe. In particular, checking for cracks, rust, or leaks in the gas line connected to your heater is critical.
If you notice any signs of disrepair, such as the smell of gas, hissing sounds, or unusual corrosion, please don’t delay. Contact your local professional plumber to repair the line immediately. Don’t take any chances with the health and safety of your loved ones.
Get an Annual Maintenance to help in extending your Water Heaters Lifespan
Follow these tips for extending your water heaters lifespan with regular maintenance checks on your water heater. It’s essential to avoid costly repairs or complete breakdowns. Water Heater maintenance helps you identify any issues that need prompt repairs and prevents irreversible damage to your appliance.
Here are some essential steps to keep your water heater in top condition:
- Clear the area around the water heater
- Learn how to turn off the water supply.
- Record important information, such as the type of water heater, model number, and serial number, for future reference.
Take these steps to make your water heater run efficiently. Taking these steps can save you money and avoid issues in the future.
Add expansion tank
As water is heated, it expands, which can cause internal pressure to rise if there’s nowhere to go. The solution is an expansion tank explicitly designed to attract the high-volume water in your heater and quickly reduce stress.
Without an expansion tank, your heating system may reach a higher thermal temperature. Higher heater temperature increases the chance of bursting or failure. Protect your system with an expansion tank.
Improve Your Water Quality and help in Extending Your Heaters Lifespan
The quality of the water in your home can significantly impact the lifespan of your water heater. If your water supply contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, you likely have hard water. Hard water leads to sediment buildup within your heater, potentially causing significant damage to its longevity.
The good news is that a water softener can help. This device filters out the minerals causing hard water, mainly allowing soft water to flow through your plumbing system. Invest in your home’s future by installing a water softener and prolonging the life of your water heater.
Keep Your Water Heater Safe: The Importance of Pressure Relief Valves
The pressure relief valve is a crucial safety feature of your water heater. You can find the pressure release valve at the top or side of your water heater. It automatically releases water if the pressure inside the unit gets too high.
A failing valve can lead to disastrous consequences like an exploding water heater. So, it’s essential to test your pressure relief valve regularly.
Place a bucket beneath the T&P valve. Test the valve by lifting the lever. A few gallons of water will be released. The water should stop flowing once you close the valve.
Don’t take any chances with your safety. Test your pressure relief valve and ensure your water heater lasts as long as possible.
Protect Your Water Heater with an Anode Rod
An anode rod is a crucial component that prevents your water heater tank from rusting. By attracting corrosion, it prevents rust from developing on the inside of the tank. However, after years of battling rust, the rod will become corroded, leaving your unit vulnerable to corrosion.
Good news! This small but powerful rod can help extend the lifespan of your water heater. It can double the lifespan.
It is essential to check the Anode Rod and the water heater yearly. The lifespan of a water heater can range from 5 to 10 years. However, usage and water hardness can affect when it needs replacing.
Investing in an anode rod can help extend the life of your water heater. It is an affordable and effective solution that could save money on costly repairs or replacements later.
Improve Your Water Heater’s Efficiency with Pipe Insulation
Pipe insulation can help you save money on your electricity bill and make your water heater more efficient. It is the answer to these goals.
Insulating your pipes won’t directly extend your water heater’s lifespan but can make it more energy-efficient. Your system won’t have to work as hard to heat your water. This could lead to a decrease in your electricity bill.
Insulating your pipes can lower energy bills. It can also increase your water heater’s temperature by two to four degrees. Pipe insulation gives you hotter water without having to increase the heat.
But that’s not all. Insulated pipes can also protect your cold water pipes from freezing and potentially bursting during colder months.
So why wait? Improve your water heater’s efficiency by insulating your pipes today.
Keeping Your Water Heater Performing at Its Best
Sediment buildup in the water supply can cause problems. It can settle at the bottom of the tank and cause internal corrosion. A buildup of sediment can negatively affect the performance of the water heater.
To prevent such problems, it’s recommended to flush the tank on your water heater at least once a year. This simple maintenance task involves draining a few gallons of water from your tank to remove buildup.
Hard water can cause mineral deposits to build up. If you live in an area with hard water, it’s recommended to flush your system more often than once a year.
Exercise caution while draining, as the water can be boiling. Regular maintenance is a worthwhile investment. It can keep your water heater performing at its best. Take the time to do it regularly.
Is It Time to Replace Your Water Heater?
While proactive maintenance can help in extending your water heater’s lifespan, issues can still occur over time. Here are a few signs that your water heater needs replacement:
- No hot water
- Strange sounds are coming from your system
- Rust in your water
- Leaking from the bottom of your heater
If you observe any of these signs, contact Apollo Plumbing in Everett, WA. A professional Plumber will assess the situation and decide the best course of action for your water heater.
