Keeping Water Heaters in Working Order

Caring for your water heater is crucial in order to keep it in working condition at all times. It will also allow you to make the most of your heater and lengthen it’s life expectancy. Therefore, if your goal is to keep your heater at it’s best condition, proper care should be observed.

There are also certain practices that should be implemented in order to keep it functioning optimally. Doing so allows you to enjoy hot water without having to worry about high energy bills. Aside from that, you can continuously enjoy your water heater without interruptions or with minimal repairs. Additionally, by following these tips not only can you extend the lifespan, but you can save money in the process.

Make Use of the Thermostat

All water heaters have their own thermostat. If you regulate this from time to time, you can keep your water functioning optimally when you need hot water the most.  However, while away from home lower the thermostat to reduce the heat .

Everyone should maximize the use of their thermostat. Remember, keep the water warm for bathing, but if kept too hot it could scald your skin. Another note, extremely hot water will cause sedimentation to build up in the tank which could further slow the heating process of the heater.

Clean or Flush Your Tank

In time your hot water tank could build up sediments inside it. These sediments are made up of sand and minerals coming from the water. As their numbers grow, your heater could lose its efficiency in heating. It could also destroy the integrity of the tank by corrosion.

Therefore it is wise to flush or clean your tank annually, especially in south Texas. You can use a typical garden hose to do so as each hot water heater has a valve built in especially for flushing. Caution: the water could be extremely hot, and if you are not comfortable doing this then you may want to seek the help of a plumber, or handyman.

Insulate the Pipes and Make use of a Heater Jacket during the Winter

Hot water being transmitted through pipes will loose heat. To lessen heat loss, you may want to insulate areas that are exposed to the cold.

You can also keep the heat in with the use of a hot water heater jacket. The jacket will insulate the whole unit so when it is exposed to colder conditions, the heat of the water is preserved even when it is on standby.

Being able to preserve heat helps your tank function efficiently. You won't have to keep turning the thermostat up just to achieve your desired heat. As a result, your heater's load is greatly reduced.

Do not forget to inspect the Tank and the Heater

The integrity of your heater system is very important in order for it to work as expected. In the presence of leaks and/or structural damage, your heater will probably continue to work as expected, but will eventually break down. How can this happen? Simply put, your hot water heater has to work harder in order to provide you with the hot water you demand.

By inspecting your tank you can typically sort out any problems before they get worse. This will give you the opportunity to fix the issue before your tank looses functionality.  Remember, “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure”.

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