Protect Your Investment with These Tips for Extending the Lifespan of Your Water Heater

If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about your water heater unless something goes wrong with it. However, problems with your water heater can quickly turn significant, so it’s important to perform some simple ongoing maintenance tasks to prevent major, expensive issues and to extend its usable life as long as possible.

Here are a few examples of some of the simple maintenance tasks you can take to improve your water heater’s efficiency and extend its lifespan. Contact the best Vegas water heater service to learn more:

• Inspections: Every now and then, you should perform some quick inspections of your water heater for any signs of damage or leaking. The joints should be an area of focus—look for signs of gaps or leakage, and check for cracks in the body. If you see any issues, take immediate action, as small leaks can quickly grow and lead to flooding.
• Flush: Once or twice a year, you should drain several gallons of water from the heater into a bucket and examine the water. If it appears to be full of debris, you’ll need to fully clean the water heater. The more debris builds up inside the tank, the more it will hurt the efficiency of the system, causing increased energy bills. Even with supposed self-cleaning water heaters, it’s still a good idea to completely flush and clean the tank every several years.
• Pressure relief valve: Your water heater should have a pressure relief valve, which automatically expends pressure when the pressure inside the tank gets too high. This prevents an explosion from occurring. To test that valve, lift the lever (usually located at the side or top of the water heater). If there’s no water that releases from the discharge pipe, you’ll need to replace this valve.
• Gas lines: When you perform other inspections of your water heater itself, you should also check the gas lines connecting to your water heater (if applicable). If you see any signs of corrosion or damage on those pipes, you’ll need to repair them as soon as possible. If there’s any reason to believe there could be a gas leak, you should quickly contact a professional to deal with the issue, as this can make for an extremely dangerous situation.
• Anode rod: Another part of your water heater that should regularly be inspected is the anode rod, the metal part that is installed in the water heater to prevent the tank from rusting. The anode rod is the part that attracts all the corrosion before it starts affecting the steel in the tank. If the anode rod gets fully corroded, it will no longer be able to attract the corrosion, and will need to be replaced. You should check the anode rod every year, and expect to replace it every three to five years.

If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do to keep your water heater in great shape, contact Orchard Plumbing, the best Vegas water heater service you’ll find.