Maintenance Tips for Water Heaters

To a lot of people, water heaters are essential as cold showers are anything but fun and relaxing. However, very few people know that in order for them to keep their heaters in tip-top shape, they need to know simple maintenance procedures. The funny thing is, these maintenance instructions often come with heaters but are overlooked most of the time.

Why Is There a Need for Maintenance?

Looking at the way water is pumped into the water heater, you will see why it is important to know these maintenance tips. For one, when water is pumped into the heater, various minerals and sediments sink to the bottom and add up over time. This will decrease the efficiency of your water heater and will cost you a lot of money in the long run. Should you not do anything, your water heater will just not work, but will also rust and will eventually develop leaks. If this continues, your whole water heating tank has to be replaced, which costs a lot of money.

What are the Maintenance Steps?

• Locate the heater –First, you need to locate your heater, which is very easy. Most of the time, it is just located in the garage. Be very careful with it since you will not only be dealing with electricity/gas, but also steam and very hot water.
• Determine what kind of heater you have – Just look around the tank and look for warnings and labels. If you can’t find anything, look for a pilot light since that is an indication that your water heater is most probably gas.  Read the instructions on how to turn on the gas and electricity to ensure your safety.
• Locate the valves – The shut-off valve for the water should be located on the top part of the water heater. It looks like a circular water valve like the ones found in the back and front yards. The pressure release valve should be on the top as well and it usually has a label near it. The water drain is placed at the bottom and looks like a simple spout with threads for a hose to be attached.
• Gather your materials –This means taking out your bucket and gloves so that you can collect the water or scum that was collected in the bottom without making a mess. The gloves protect your hands from hot water.
• Drain water and scum –The water that comes out of your heater will be dirty at first, but do not worry. That is just all the dirt and sediments escaping. In fact, you want the water to be dirty so you know the dirt is escaping from your tank.

Once that is done, all that is left for you to do is turn on the valves and make sure all the connections are in place. This whole process is very simple, will not take up too much of your time and can spare you from a lot of trouble in the future.