Home Maintenance HVAC, Plumbing Plans Reduce Emergencies
Your water heater is one rather used and costly appliances in your home, and consumes a large regarding your energy dollars each month. And experts say regular care and maintenance is essential to protecting your investment and saving from the home heating as well as costs.
Regular flushing of the water heater are probably the single most important step you can take to prolong its service life and even save energy. A duration of time, sediments mount 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. In part destructive to the tank, but highly inefficient and will significantly raise your heating costs.
In most regarding the country, the standard water heater lasts 3-5 years. Regularly flushing your hot water heater can double daily life of your hot water heater from 3-5 to 7-10 years. Something else costs of replacement running from $700 to over $1200 in some cases, getting the most from your heater is a must in today’s weather. 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, first you 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 heater. Next, close the water supply valve located in the water inlet line going into your water heater. You can then connect a garden hose to the drain valve located in the bottoom of the heater tank. Open the drain and allow it to play until all of your water has emptied from the hot water heater. Then close the drain. Open the water supply valve and refill the heating. You should also open a hot water faucet somewhere indoors and stand there and watch it run for several minutes until the water flows out quickly. This will allow air to vent off of 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 residence to filter or condition the water so may less corrosive to your plumbing system, particularly in areas possess hard this type of 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 suit your needs.
Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical
The Woodlands, TX
(281) 528-1610
