Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Quick And Easy Water Heater Maintenance

Quick And Easy Water Heater Maintenance

By Brian Winters


Water heaters are considered one of the most important appliances in every household. Obviously, it provides hot water for taking showers, washing dishes and doing the laundry. It can be too inconvenient to wake up to a broken water heater. When this happens, check your unit to detect signs of damage. Always call a specialist if you are not comfortable in carrying out repairs on your own.

Avoid electric shocks and fatal accidents by turning off the heating source of your water heater prior to inspecting it. Shut down the circuit breaker if you have an electric-powered unit or the gas supply valve for gas water heaters. It helps reminding everyone about the scheduled maintenance to stop them from using the unit during the process.

Turn off the cold water supply valve located at the top of the water heater to prevent water from entering the tank. For thorough inspection, you may need to drain the tank beforehand. Wipe water puddles around the tank and be careful of scalding water coming out of the tank. You can shut down the water heater the night before inspecting it to avoid scalding your skin.

Do you know if your water heater is leaking? If so, check your pipe fitting if they are tightened enough. Having loose fitting can cause water to easily leak. Tighten the pipes with a wrench without over tightening them. If you see rust stains around the pipes, you may have a major leaking problem. Replace badly damaged pipes as soon as possible if water continues to leak. You can wrap a Teflon tape around the threading to stop your pipes from leaking.

Next thing to check is your T&P relief valve. This safety valve is responsible for releasing excessive pressure inside the tank to protect it from overheating, or worst, blowing up. Always make sure this valve is working at all times to prevent accidents. If it's loose, simply tighten the valve into place. Lower the temperature down to avoid excessive pressure buildup.

Try to lift and release the lever to check the water flow. Lifting the handle should allow water to drain while snapping it back on its own should stop the water release. Replace the relief valve as soon as possible once it starts to leak. For proper valve installation, contact a specialist right away.

Believe it or not, the sediment buildup can be prevented if you drain and flush your tank regularly. You can start by connecting a hose to drain valve while running the other end to a floor drain, gutter or large tub. Open a hot water tap inside the house for easy drainage. Open the drain valve and wait until the tank is empty. At this point, you have now successfully drained your water heater.

You may notice sediments sitting right at the bottom of the internal tank. Flush them all out by opening the cold water supply valve. Remember to remove the hose and place a bucket right below the drain valve to catch the hard water minerals. Wait until the water runs clear and before refilling.

Following these steps should be easy if you have a trusted plumber around. Since water heaters don't come cheap, perform water heater maintenance to extend its lifespan and sustain its efficiency at the same time. Do not hesitate to contact a specialist for reliable water heater services.




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