Ridgeway Mechanical Shows You How You Can Make Your Hot Water Heater Last Longer
A hot water heater is arguably the hardest working of all your electrical home appliances. It also consumes the most energy. Most homeowners have a love-hate relationship with this energy-hungry appliance that provides the most important of home comforts – hot water for baths, showers, and cleaning.
With time, a hot water heater loses its efficiency. Most homeowners have to replace their hot water heaters every 8-10 years, however, with proper maintenance, your hot water heater can last much longer. Today, Ridgeway Mechanical shows you how you can take care of your hot water heater to increase its longevity.
1. Annual Hot Water Heater Cleaning
Our expert master plumber recommends that you clean your hot water heater once a year by draining the tank and removing any built-up sediment. This sediment settles on top of the thermostat, causing it to have to work much harder, in turn reducing the life of your hot water heater.
Since each hot water heater is different, you should follow your specific heater’s manufacturer’s recommendations to do the annual hot water heater cleaning.
2. Reduce the Heat on Your Hot Water Heater
Most hot water heaters are set way too high, and the thermostat can easily be set lower while still providing more than enough hot water. It is very easy to turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater, and not only will it help your hot water last longer, but it will also help reduce your energy costs and carbon footprint.
3. Insulate!
Insulation helps to keep the water inside your water heater hotter for longer, thus reducing the amount of heat lost through the tank’s partitions by up to 40%, thus saving you energy and money. Reducing heat loss will also increase the hot water heater’s efficiency and lifespan.
Also, insulate your water pipes to limit heat loss through the pipes to the faucets.
4. Install High-Efficiency Shower Heads
Aerated faucets and water-saving showerheads will reduce the amount of water used, thus maximizing your hot water heater use and minimizing how hard it has to work, thus extending the heater’s life span.
5. Create Space
Clutter can create a fire risk in areas that use gas or electricity. Be sure that you move any items 18″ or further away from the hot water heater. You should also try, when a new hot water heater is installed, to ensure that there is sufficient overhead clearance to replace the anode rod in the future.
6. Call the Experts
Every few years, ask a certified plumbing technician to inspect your hot water heater. The anode rod should be replaced every five years, by a certified technician. This anode rod, a metal component, is located inside of the hot water heater and not in the actual tank. The purpose of the anode rod is to take care of the galvanic hit from the corrosion that naturally occurs inside metal components. Having it replaced every five years will help prevent corrosion and make your water heater last much longer.
7. Consider a Tankless Hot Water Heater
A tankless hot water heater requires less maintenance and provides hot water on demand. Since there is no tank, you don’t have to replace it every few years.
When you need hot water heater maintenance, get hold of Ridgeway Mechanical. We specialize in tankless hot water heaters, but will gladly handle maintenance on your standard hot water heater.