If you live in an apartment and don’t use water for anything other than cooking and washing dishes, your water heater might be doing more harm than good. But if you live in a house that uses water for showers, laundry, dishwashing and other purposes, then you should seriously consider getting one. The water heater is an essential part of our plumbing system and it’s important to keep it running efficiently without any problems!
Replacing water heaters
Frequently water heater repair will only be needed if there is a problem with the water heater. If your water heater was fitted less than ten years ago, it might be an idea to replace it now. The water tanks are usually good for fifteen years, so you could easily get another five or more until having problems with the water heater. Obviously water heaters do not last forever, but there are other things you can do to extend their lives. If water heater repair is needed because of a problem within the water tank, then water heating parts need replacing.
You should keep the water tank covered when not in use as well as turning off the power or gas if you’re leaving for a long time. If water is left sitting in the tank, especially water with minerals and sediment, those water contaminants will turn to solids and stick to the bottom and sides of your water heater tank. If you do not clean these regularly they will begin corroding the water tank surface causing rust and leaks.
If you’ve got water heaters with water heating elements, you’ve got to be careful about water temperature. If water is too hot it may lead to scalding or worse an explosion which can cause injury or property damage.
But the most common water heater problem is corrosion. Corrosion happens when water is left standing in your water tank for too long without being used. When water sits still in a water heater tank, it evaporates slightly and the minerals left behind corrode your water tank from the inside out.
Making sure you have less water sitting around in the water heater tank is probably the best way to prevent this rusting effect from happening. You can do that by draining a little water from the water heater to a floor drain every time you have a water line leak in your house. The water may feel hot, but it usually won’t be hotter than 120 degrees F when you drain it from the water heater tank. This way, you ensure that water in the water heater tank is always being cycled through your household piping system and out to the water main throughout your house.
Adding a water heater blanket is another way to prevent corrosion and water heater damage. The water heater blanket, also known as an insulating jacket, is a special insulation that wraps around the water tank. If you don’t want to buy one of these jackets, you can wrap foam rubber insulation around your water heater. Learn about plumbing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumbing
