Your water heater is one rather used and higher priced appliances in your home, and consumes a large involving your energy dollars each month. And experts say regular care and maintenance is essential to protecting your investment and saving with regards to your home heating as well as costs.
Regular flushing of your water heater is considered the single most important step you consider to prolong its service life in addition, it save energy. During time, sediments build up in the bottom of your water heater. These sediments act as a barrier between the flame and the tank, thereby making your heater burn longer and hotter. This is not only destructive to the tank, but highly inefficient and will significantly raise your heating costs.
In most regions of the country, the common water heater lasts 3-5 years. Regularly flushing your hot water heater can double living of your water heater from 3-5 to 7-10 years. And with the costs of replacement running from $700 to over $1200 in some cases, getting the most out of your heater is critical in today’s economy. In addition, regular flushing makes your hot water heater run more efficiently and can cut heating costs fifty percent. Depending on the volume of drinking water your home uses, that can mean a savings of $20 to over $50 a month or so.
To drain your water heater, which will help should set the thermostat to pilot (if it is really a gas water heater) or turn the circuit breaker off (if it is actually electric heater). Failure to do so could result in overheating and severe damage to the water heater. Next, close the water supply valve located on the water inlet line going into your water heater. Then you’re connect a garden hose to the drain valve located in the bottoom of the central heater. Open the drain and allow it to move until all of the water has emptied from the air conditioner. Then close the drain. Open the water supply valve and refill the hot water heater. You should also open a hot water faucet somewhere inside the house and stand there and watch it run for several minutes until the water flows out quickly. This will allow air to vent via the heater and the hot water lines. Finally, you can turn the thermostat back to its regular setting (for a gas heater), or turn the circuit breakers back on (for an electric heater).
Besides regularly flushing your water heater, plumbing experts also advise adding a water treatment system to your property to filter or condition the water so is actually always less corrosive to your plumbing system, particularly in areas which have hard hot water. For more ways to care for and protect your home plumbing system, contact a licensed, professional plumbing contractor in your neighborhood to discuss options and products to provide what you need.
Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical
The Woodlands, TX
(281) 528-1610