Flushing The Tank Makes for a Quieter, More Reliable Unit
Having to deal with a water heater repair can be aggravating, as it probably means you currently don’t have any hot water in your home. If there was a way to avoid this disruption to your day, wouldn’t you want to try it?
There’s one easy way you can try to avoid water heater problems: regular maintenance. This is something our technicians here at Rebmann Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning can do, but there also some things you can try at home.
Maintenance Tips
In order to keep your water heater running efficiently and reliably, try the following:
- Whenever going on a trip for an extended period of time, it would be a good idea to adjust the thermostat in gas heaters to “Vacation” setting. This setting will maintain the pilot light without heating the water.
- Annually test the pressure-relief valve. To do this, quickly discharge it two or three times. After the testing, watch for small leaks coming from the valve.
- If you have an older unit, it would be wise to insulate it with a fiberglass jacket to improve it’s efficiency. When insulating it, though, be careful to avoid contact with the flue. Newer units are already optimized to run at peak efficiency. (So, if you are toying with the idea of a replacement, this might be a good reason to get one!)
- You should almost always have at least two feet of clearance around the water heater.
- To avoid the risk of scalding, set your thermostat to 120 degrees.
- Every few months, you should drain about a quarter of the tank to remove any sediment and debris. This not only makes the unit more efficient, but it helps it run quieter, too.
- Every three to five years, it’d be a good idea to examine the sacrificial anode rod. To do this, loosen the head head screw, remove it, and look for more than six inches of exposed core steel wire. If you see the exposed wire, you should replace the anode.
Don’t worry – if you would feel more comfortable with a professional performing this maintenance, Rebmann Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning will be right there. Call us today!
