Maintaining a Home's Water Heater

Air intake filters are common in tankless water heaters

Nowadays, hot water has many other uses besides cleaning and bathing. As such, water heaters have become an integral component in many households to meet hot water demands. However, this overreliance means they experience wear and tear at a faster rate. Thus, proper maintenance is key to ensuring their long life and peak performance.

Here's how homeowners can maintain their water heaters to keep it going longer:

Wrapping the tank in insulation

Wrapping the tank in insulation prevents heat loss and maintains a consistent internal temperature. It safeguards the heater from exertion to produce more heat. However, covering heaters powered by natural gas or propane is not advisable as it blocks essential airflow needed for combustion.

Regularly testing the temperature pressure relief valve

The temperature pressure relief (TPR) valve lets out pressure to prevent build-up in the water heater. It is tested by placing a bucket beneath the drain pipe connected to the valve and lifting the lever or valve tab. Water should come upon lifting the lever and stop after lowering. 

If no water comes out when lifting the lever, this may indicate that the valve is faulty and needs replacement or a sign of a leakage in the heater. 

Cleaning or replacing air intake filters

Air intake filters are common in tankless water heaters. They help filter air into the heater by removing dust and debris. Over time, these filters can get clogged or damaged, which impairs the heater's functionality. 

Homeowners should conduct regular checkups to clean the debris from the filters and replace broken ones.

Draining the heater yearly

Although heaters can last up to 12 years, they quickly accumulate sediment with continued use. Such build-up can cause clogging and contribute to the breakdown of the heater. Apart from electric heaters, homeowners should flush them annually or semi-annually to remove sediment.

Remember to power down the heater, let it cool, and turn off the water supply before flushing it. 

Checking or replacing the anode rod

The anode rod acts as a decoy for the water heater against metals in water. Instead of damaging the heater's interior, these metals react with and corrode the anode rod. Homeowners can check if the rod is worn out and replace it to prevent the metals from damaging the water heater. 

Lowering the temperature setting

Most water heaters come with a higher temperature setting than required. Typically, the average temperature should be set at 120 degrees. Any higher than that can result in serious burns and scalding, cause the heater to overexert itself, and raise power bills in the long run. 

Homeowners can also lower the thermostat to its lowest setting or turn off the water heater when planning to travel. 

Avoid water heater breakdowns

Even though water heater problems can be a major inconvenience to daily life, homeowners can keep their heaters functional with DIY maintenance tasks. Nonetheless, it's best to contact a plumbing professional for effective repairs and regular inspections of the water heaters.

Frontier Plumbing of Las Vegas is a full-service commercial and residential plumbing company offering a full spectrum of plumbing services. We are determined to exceed your expectations! Call 702-602-6705 today!