Gas water heaters are durable appliances that may last for 20 years or maybe even more. That is, if they’re taken care of regularly and properly. Instead of just calling a plumber when your water heater malfunctions, why not hire them for timely inspections and professional maintain service? You’ll realize that you won’t only lengthen the life span of your water heater but also save on expensive repair expenses. Now if you want to know how you can care for your appliance, read on and follow these tips!
1. Check your water heater’s T&P (Temperature and Pressure) valve. Get a bucket and place it under the tube that’s hooked to the T&P valve. Lift the valve’s tab in order to relieve some water. If water continuously flows out, the tank must be drained halfway. Then, call a professional to remove the old T&P valve and replace it.
2. Inspect your water heater’s anode rod. Get a hose and connect it to the tank’s drain cock. Turn the valve on and let water flow out of the tank. Afterward, check the top of the water heater and unscrew the anode rod. Inspect if it’s still intact or if it’s already coated with calcium. If it’s coated, you must buy a new rod. Simply wrap the new rod with Teflon tape, place it in the tank and secure it.
3. Flushing the tank is also another effective way to care for your water heater. Drain the water content of the tank into a bucket. Once you’re done with this, turn the cold water supply on to stir the sediments inside the tank. Drain the water once again and repeat this process until the tank has been cleared of sediments. Close the water heater’s drain cock. Fill the tank with water once again and turn its power back on.
4. After draining your tank, you should also ensure that your water heater’s temperature is set no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, every 10 degrees of reduction on the water heater’s temp provide you with up to 5% energy savings. Also remember that the water heater must be turned at its lowest temperature setting if you’ll leave home or go on vacation for three days or more.
5. Did you insulate your water heater’s pipes? You should. Insulation helps in keeping the water hot as it travels through the hot water supply pipe. You can use foam pipe insulation on both the hot and cold water pipes to contribute on your water heater’s efficiency.
6. Insulate your water heater tank. Doing so will reduce standby heat loss and increase your water heater’s efficiency especially during cold winter months. Just remember to only wrap the sides of the tank but never cover the top and the gas heaters.
We hope that you learned a lot about gas water heater maintenance from our blog today. If you need help with your heating unit, just call the best Marshfield MA plumbing company. Plumbers 911 Boston provides reliable plumbing services in Marshfield MA including plumbing appliance installation, toilet repair, faucet repair, drain cleaning, backflow prevention and many more! Call us at (877) 754-2139 to schedule a service!
Learn more maintenance tips for your water heater! Check out this video we found on YouTube!
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