From the moment you wake up, you rely on hot water for cooking, cleaning and bathing. Because of this, you may take the luxury of having a water heater for granted. It is critical, however, for homeowners to understand the importance of routine water heater maintenance.
By making water heater maintenance a part of your annual fall hvac maintenance checkup, you can rest assured that you will have hot water all winter long.
Why is water heater maintenance important?
When water enters your water heater tank to be warmed up, it brings some unwanted debris along with it. This debris includes dirt, minerals and sediment that tend to gather and settle at the bottom of the tank. In addition to greatly reducing your water heater’s efficiency, this buildup can also cause damage over the long run. Left untreated, it may cause rusting and deterioration, which can lead to the premature need to replace your water heater. Therefore, water heater service not only enhances system efficiency, but it boosts system longevity too.
What will a professional do during water heater maintenance?
You should enlist the help of your trusted HVAC contractor at least once a year to perform routine water heater maintenance. During this service, the technician will perform a thorough checkup of your equipment to ensure that there is no sign of rust or corrosion on your tank and that its connections are functional. He also will replace any worn anode rods, and inspect the pressure relief valve for functionality.
In addition to these tasks, the technician will drain the system and flush out any collected sediment. While it is possible to make this last step a do-it-yourself project, it is one that is truly best left to the professionals. Not only is the process time consuming, but it’s also a matter of safety. Because water as hot as 145 degrees will be draining from the system, it is a good idea to leave this task to the experts.
For more advice on routine water heater maintenance, contact the professionals at T.F O’Brien Cooling & Heating. We are proud to serve residents of the Long Island area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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