Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Tips On Hot Water Heater Maintenance

By Brian Winters


If you are on a tight budget, it is important to prolong the lifespan of your water heater. When this happens, it is wise to let a specialist maintain your unit, since they have the right knowledge and tools in doing so. Trying to fix a water heater without the help from a professional can only cause the issue to escalate, resulting to a more expensive water heater replacement.

You can prevent rust and corrosion from building up by flushing and draining your tank regularly. Experts recommend repeating this process twice a year to avoid having contaminated water. If you have highly corrosive water, you might have to do it more often. Calcium, iron, sulfates and magnesium often contain hard water that causes your tank to be inefficient. You may notice soap or toothpaste hard to lather once you have hard water running in your pipes.

If you want to reduce your electric bill, start flushing and draining your tank before it's too late. Sediments that are left at the bottom of the tank overtime can limit the volume of water that can be stored inside. When this happens, expect to have rusty-colored water that comes with a rotten odor running in your pipes. Contaminated water, once ingested, can result to major health complications. Protect your family from ingesting germ-filled water by draining your storage tank regularly.

Letting your water heater leak for a long time can cause rust to eat the internal components and metal lining over time. Expect holes to appear at the bottom of the tank when this happens. Always inspect your tank for rust stains to check if your water heater is about to corrode completely. Before your old unit becomes an inconvenience, start saving for a replacement water heater as soon as possible.

Always make sure the heating source of your unit is turned off before draining the tank empty. To stop water from entering the tank, shut down the cold water inlet valve. You can locate this valve at the top of the tank near its cold water line. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve and place the other end to a secure drainage location to avoid scalding. Open a hot water tap near the unit to relieve the water pressure inside the tank, allowing air for easy water drainage.

Open the drain valve and wait until the tank is empty. It is normal to see accumulated sediments sticking at the bottom of the tank. Start flushing these hard water minerals out of the tank by removing the hose and placing a bucket below the drain valve. Turn the cold water supply on to flush these sediments out. Do not forget to close the hot water tap before you refill the tank. Wait until the tank is full before switching the power or gas on.

If you want to remove the bacteria inside your tank, you may add a gallon of bleach during the flushing period. Unscrew the cold water inlet connection after opening the hot water tap to attach it to a flexible nipple hose. Add bleach at the inlet opening with a funnel. Fill the tank with water and let it sit for an hour. Bacteria should have been killed at this point. Turn on all the hot water plumbing fixtures to remove the bleach water and let it run out for about 15 minutes. Expect the water quality to improve right away.

These steps are required in order to keep your water heater in tip-top shape. For guaranteed results, always call a specialist whenever it's time to maintain your water heater. Trying to repair water heater problems on your own may only worsen the situation, leading to a more costly repair in the long run.




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