Understanding Water Heater Maintenance: Essential Tips for Homeowners

Ever wondered how plumbers avoid cold showers and high service fees?

They maintain their water heaters.

Neglecting your water heater will likely result in an inconvenient, expensive repair, and you’ll be going without hot water for days.

Water heaters are essential appliances that consistently provide you with hot water. Showers, dishes, laundry… You name it.

But like every other appliance in your household, your water heater requires maintenance.

Just by providing your water heater with some tender loving care, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in repairs and extend the life of your unit by several years!

What you will learn

• Why Water Heater Maintenance is Important
• The Cost of Neglecting Your Water Heater
• Water Heater Maintenance Tips
• Water Heater Services You Should Leave to the Pros

Why Water Heater Maintenance is Important

Take a second to think about how much you rely on hot water.

Morning showers, doing the dishes, laundry. Your water heater is working overtime to make your daily tasks possible.

Your water heater makes up 13-18% of your energy bill. That’s a huge chunk of money you can save with routine maintenance and repair.

Maintaining your water heater not only saves you money but assures that you’ll have hot water whenever you need it. Proper water heater installation and routine water heater services means your system runs as efficiently as possible from day one.

Long Water Heater Life Expectancy

The average life expectancy of a water heater is 8-12 years.

If you fail to properly maintain your water heater, that number decreases rapidly. Build up and corrosion can halve the life of your water heater.

Maintaining your water heater can increase that life expectancy to 12-15+ years. That’s thousands of dollars in savings by avoiding premature replacement.

Avoid Costly Water Heater Breakdowns

Did you know 69% of water heater failures are caused by slow leaks or sudden bursts?

These can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in water damage.

The average home insurance claim for water damage is $4,400. Maintenance can prevent this!

The Cost of Neglecting Your Water Heater

Skipping yearly maintenance can save you a little money here and there. But over time it will actually cost you more.

Here’s how:

Your water heater has to work twice as hard when not properly maintained. More work means more energy used and you’ll see that on your monthly utility bills.

Water heaters also break down quicker without maintenance. And when they do, you’re left paying large fees for emergency services.

Higher Utility Bills

If you’ve never heard of flushing your water heater, you’re not alone.

Sediment build up can wreak havoc on the efficiency of your water heater.

Hard water leaves behind minerals that settle at the bottom of your tank. This forms a layer between your heating element and your water, forcing your heater to work harder.

The U.S. Department of Energy states that simply cleaning your system can save you up to 9% on your energy bills.

More Frequent Breakdowns

A well maintained water heater should need repairs every 6-8 years.

A water heater that has never been maintained will need to be repaired every 3-4 years.

That’s twice as often!

Not only that, but the repairs needed for an unmaintained water heater are typically more expensive. Once something breaks, another will soon follow.

Eventually, you’ll be replacing your whole water heater prematurely.

Water Heater Maintenance You Can Do

Now that we’ve covered the scary consequences, let’s review what type of maintenance you should be doing.

Some of these will be DIY friendly. Others will require professional water heater services.

Flush Your Tank

This is the most important maintenance task you can do for your water heater.

Flushing your tank helps rid any buildup or minerals that have collected at the bottom of your tank. This is your best bet at preventing your water heater from losing efficiency and breaking down prematurely.

If your home has hard water you’ll want to flush every 6 months. For others annually is just fine.

Here’s how you can flush your tank

• Turn off power and water to your water heater.
• Connect a hose to the drain valve.
• Open up a hot water faucet.
• Open the drain valve and allow the water to pour out until it runs clear.

If you have stubborn sediment, briefly turn your cold water back on. This can help shake the buildup loose. Keep draining until the water is clear.

Check the Anode Rod

Your anode rod is like the eagles to your water heater tank. Once the rod is gone, the damage continues.

Anode rods attract corrosive particles that would typically eat away at your tank.

These rods should be checked annually and replaced when mostly corroded.

Test Your Pressure Relief Valve

Your water heater is equipped with a safety valve. This valve is called the pressure relief valve and its job is to prevent pressure from building up in your tank.

Once a year you’ll want to lift the lever on this valve and make sure water flows freely.

If water does not flow, your valve needs to be replaced.

Inspect your Water Heater for Leaks

Take a walk around your water heater and look for any signs of leakage.

Check all connections and valves, as well as your tank. Small leaks can go unnoticed but waste water and energy and will get worse as time goes on.

The sooner you catch leaks, the better.

Adjust Temperature As Needed

The ideal water heater temperature is 120°F.

Higher temperatures can cause energy waste and risk of being scalded. Lower temperatures can cause you to not kill bacteria.

Check to make sure your thermostat matches your desired temperature. Some water heaters have two separate thermostats. Check both if this is the case.

Water Heater Services From Professionals

As stated above, some tasks are better left to the professionals.

You should ALWAYS call a professional to:

• Complete annual inspections & general maintenance
• Replace the anode rod
• Replace your pressure relief valve
• Repair any issues that involve gas lines or electrical wires
• Flush your water heater
• Hear strange noises, odors, or performance issues

Professional water heater services have years of experience and special tools to detect these problems. Most plumbers can tell you issues you may not be aware of.

Water heater manufacturers require you to have professional maintenance done. By skipping out on yearly maintenance, you’re voiding your warranty when you need it most.

Telltale Signs You Need Service Immediately

You shouldn’t wait for your annual maintenance if you experience any of the following:

• Rusty or discolored water
• Strange popping or rumbling noises
• Hot water temperature fluctuation
• Inability to get enough hot water
• Visible corrosion on tank
• Water leaking or pool of water under water heater
• Increase in energy bills

Just because your water heater isn’t acting up doesn’t mean you shouldn’t maintain it. Prevention maintenance is the best way to save yourself money.

How Often Should You Maintain Your Heater

Annual maintenance from a professional is ideal for most homeowners.

Try to do this around the same time every year. Setting yourself reminders can help. A lot of people prefer to do their maintenance in the spring months.

Here’s how often you should do the following

• Flush- Every 6 months if you have hard water, annually for others.
• Check for leaks- Monthly
• Test Pressure Relief Valve- Twice a year
• Perform daily checks- Make sure your water heater is performing as it should be.

Compare this to oil changes on your vehicles. You change your oil more often than you rotate your tires, but both are crucial.

Conclusion

Water heater maintenance may not be the most exciting topic. But majority of homeowners will be left with cold showers and expensive repairs.

By performing some preventative maintenance, you can save yourself money and frustration. You’ll lower your energy bills, extend the life of your water heater, and prevent expensive break downs.

Leave the maintenance up to professional water heater services. They provide inspections, maintenance, and repairs so you don’t have to worry.

Don’t wait until your water heater goes out on you. Once it does, you’re stuck paying premium prices and living without hot water.

Final Reminder

Routine water heater maintenance should be done by every homeowner. Whether you DIY some tasks or leave it all up to the professionals.