Water Heater Maintenance Guide

Whether you’ve been working in the yard all day preparing for summer or shoveling snow on the coldest winter day, when you come in from working hard you want to be able to take a nice hot shower or bath. But if you have a problem with your water heater, then that relaxing shower might need to wait. Fortunately, with our water heater maintenance guide, you can prevent issues that could get in the way of your comfort. 

Five Steps for Maintaining Your Hot Water Heater

Keep your appliance in good working order by following these five steps:

 

• Clear space around the appliance. If your water heater is located in a room you typically use for storage, make sure it’s free of clutter. It can easily happen that you don’t notice clutter building up and getting too close to the appliance. However, you should maintain at least two feet of clearance around it in order for it to operate safely.

• Shut off the water supply and the power. In order to perform maintenance, you need to be safe. Turn off the power supply—the switch will be located close to the water heater—and shut off the water supply valve.

• Test the TPR valve. The TPR valve is the temperature-pressure relief valve. This valve opens to release vapor if the pressure inside the tank gets too high, so it needs to be working properly. Place a bucket below the pipe under the TPR and open the valve quickly two to three times. If the valve leaks, it will need to be replaced. 

• Check the anode rod. The anode rod is housed inside the water tank. Its function is to attract minerals and other elements that could corrode the tank. Over time, the anode rod  will either corrode or get coated with calcium, at which point you’ll need to replace it. To check it, lift the anode rod out of the tank and visually inspect it. If it’s coated in sediment or if it’s less than half an inch in diameter, you should purchase a new one. 

• Flush the tank. You need to flush the tank to prevent sediment from building up inside of it. To do this, attach a hose to the drain valve and let all of the water drain out of the tank into a bucket. This will remove most of the sediment. If the water is cloudy, briefly open the cold water supply valve to let more water into the tank. Stir the sediment, then drain the tank again. Repeat this process until the water coming out of the tank is clear. 

 

Call Water Heaters Now Today

Keeping up with routine maintenance will ensure your water heater can reliably serve your family for years. If your water heater is showing any other signs of wear and tear, however, it might be time for a replacement. Maintenance allows for safer, longer use of your water heater but like all appliances it eventually breaks down. When that happens, you can rely on Water Heaters Now to get you back in hot water the same day!

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