Water Heater Maintenance

As with all home appliances regular, ongoing maintenance is a must and will allow you to enjoy maximum benefits for a maximum amount of time. Regular maintenance will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your water heater. Hot water heater maintenance is not something most people think about until they are unable to take a hot shower or until there is a foot of water collected on their basement floor. When there is a threat to your quality of life most people will take corrective action.

Five Steps To A Healthy Water Heater

Test your temperature-pressure release valve – Turn off your power supply and your water supply. Place a bucket under the pipe connected to your valve which is located on the top or side of your tank. Lift the valve tab and allow water to run into a bucket. Release the tab. If water continues to run out of the tank you will need to replace the valve. Empty the tank halfway. Unscrew the valve using a standard pipe wrench and replace it.

Wash your tank – Turn off both your water supply and your power supply. Drain your tank into a bucket or into a floor drain if available. Now open your water supply valve and allow cold water to enter the tank. Repeat the draining and refilling process several times to clean out any sediments that may have collected in the tank. Complete the process by closing the drain cock, refilling the tank with cold water, and turning on the power source so the water can be heated.

Adjust your temperature – Locate your temperature dial on the side of your water tank. Removing the screws on the cover will allow you access to the dial. Take a flathead screwdriver and adjust the setting to 120-140 degrees which is an ideal temperature range for domestic hot water. When going away for more than a few days it is advisable to turn off your water heater or drastically reduce the temperature dial number to conserve energy and save money.

Insulate your pipes – Purchase pipe insulation with self-adhesive qualities matching the diameter of your pipes. Wrap both the hot water pipes and the cold water pipes with the insulation material. You are wrapping the hot water pipes to keep the heat inside the pipe during the winter months and the cold pipes to prevent condensation in the summer.

Insulate the water tank – Purchase foil-sided bubble wrap made for hot water heater wrapping. Carefully cut the wrap to cover the tank being sure to cut out around pipes.  Secure the wrap with foil tape to keep the wrap secure and do its job of keeping the heat in. 

Regular maintenance of your water heater will extend the life of the heater and give you optimal performance. Small and consistent efforts over time will bring you years of reliable and safe hot water.

Need help with the maintenance of your water heater? Contact us today! We are water heater experts in Irvine, Orange County.