The Importance of Maintaining Your Water Heater
Routinely maintaining a water heater is crucial for efficient and reliable operation. So as homeowners begin their spring cleaning routine, ensuring their water heater is in good working order with professional maintenance is essential. This article will explore the benefits of maintaining a water heater and share some important tasks for their care.
Why Flushing the Tank is Necessary
It’s crucial to flush the water heater tank periodically because sediment and mineral buildup inside the tank can cause corrosion and leakage. These sediments cling to the walls of the tank over time. As they accumulate, they form a thick layer that impedes the heater’s ability to heat water properly. This layer can also cause the tank to overheat, corrode, and potentially crack, leading to water damage.
Flushing the water heater helps dislodge these sediments from the tank walls and keeps them out of the water supply. Removing these deposits also increases the water heater's energy efficiency, which can help reduce the cost of monthly energy bills. Additionally, flushing the water heater regularly can help homeowners avoid costly repairs and replacements due to corrosion and leaks. Flushing a water heater at least once a year is recommended to maintain its proper function and efficiency.
Other Water Heater Maintenance Tasks
In addition to flushing the hot water tank, other maintenance tasks are necessary to properly care for the water heater and keep them in good condition. Some of these essential tasks are checking all the valves, replacing the anode rod, and inspecting for issues like leaks and corrosion.
Checking the valves ensures they function safely and correctly, preventing leaks while replacing the anode rod when needed helps prevent corrosion within the tank. An anode rod is a metal rod inside the tank that attracts corrosive materials to protect the tank from corrosion, and the leaks corrosion can cause. However, they can no longer protect the tank when they wear out, so they must be replaced. Inspecting the unit for leaks and corrosion can also help avoid major repairs or replacements by catching them before they become more severe and costly.
Benefits of Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance of a water heater can lead to many benefits for homeowners. With annual maintenance, potential problems with the water heater can be identified and addressed before they become more significant. This means more money saved over time due to lower repair or replacement costs. In addition to saving money on repairs and replacements, annual maintenance also helps to:
- prevent unexpected breakdowns
- improve energy efficiency
- reduce energy bills
- extend the water heater's lifespan
About Sheely Plumbing Inc.
Sheely Plumbing Inc. is a family-owned and operated business with over a decade of experience serving Alto, MI, and the surrounding areas. They provide same or next-day service, flat rate pricing, and always on-time arrivals. Call them today for water heater services in Alto, MI.
