Stay Warm with These Holiday Water Heater Tests!

The holidays are almost here and it’s a great time to have friends and family over. However, the fun can quickly stop when you aren’t getting hot water. During the winter months, one of the last things you want is for your water heater to stop working. To keep the hot water flowing over the holiday season, you’ll want to give your water heater some tests.

Here are some basic tips to follow this holiday season to keep your water heater in good condition:

 

Stick to 120°F

If you’ve never adjusted your water heater’s temperature before, it’s likely at the factory setting of 140°F. However, you can save energy and avoid accidental scalding by dropping the temperature 20 degrees. At 120°F, the water heater will use less energy, it’ll have a lighter workload, and hot water will be less likely to scald you. There are times you should stick with 140°F, but it’s generally best to err on the side of energy savings.

 

Test the TPR valve

Water heater tanks have a valve on the side or top called the Temperature Release Valve. This valve acts as a fail-safe that detects if there’s a dangerous level of pressure in the tank and will vent water to reduce the pressure if needed. As you can guess, the tank can fail catastrophically if the valve isn’t working properly. To test it, just lift the tab on the valve to let a little bit of water out. You want to see water come out only when the valve is open. If it leaks, drain the tank and get a replacement valve.

 

Install insulation

During the winter, the cold weather can adversely affect your water heater. Not only can it make it harder to heat water, but it can also cause pipes to freeze and crack. The best way to prevent these problems is by adding insulation to your pipes and the water heater. Pipe insulation can prevent condensation from forming on your pipes while water heater insulation can make it more efficient. Keep in mind that some models, particularly newer ones, come pre-insulated.

 

Drain the tank

Sediment is one of the major problems for any water heater that uses a tank. To keep it from causing major damage, you should flush out the tank once or twice a year. You can learn how to drain and flush your tank in our blog post on some basic water heater maintenance tips.

 

Why call Water Heaters Now to handle my problems?

Master Plumber Raymond Snesrud has been plumbing in the twin cities for 10 years and he says, “I have noticed that there are hundreds of plumbing companies who do thousands of plumbing types of repairs. I have had dozens of employees over the last 10 years, and I have found it very difficult to hire technicians who will respect people and their homes the way they deserve. One day five years ago, it occurred to me that if we only install and repair water heaters, we could become the leading experts at doing one thing.” Call Water Heaters Now today to learn more about how to keep your water heater working its best this winter!

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