Regular Water Heater Maintenance Is Essential

Keeping up with your water heater maintenance in Colorado Springs, CO is essential—unless you’re a fan of surprise cold showers at the least convenient moment possible, of course. Like every appliance, your water heater has a finite lifespan (often a decade or more), and you might not even realize something is wrong until you realize there’s no hot water to be had.

Get Water Heater Repair

Maintaining your water heater doesn’t have to be a major chore, especially when you have the experts at Affordable Rooter come out and perform your once- or twice-yearly inspection and maintenance. If there are any issues, we can repair them on the spot, saving you a lot of cold showers and expense later on down the road. Plus, it will help extend the lifespan of your water heater.

Here’s what your water heater maintenance should include:

• Clear the surrounding area: What’s hanging out around your water heater? We hope the answer is “nothing”—you need about two feet of clearance around your water heater to keep fire hazards and other issues to a minimum.
• Inspect for corrosion: One of the most important signs of disrepair is corrosion on or around your water heater—that means there’s a leak somewhere. Look for corrosion on the valves and piping, and if you have a gas water heater, check the draft hood and gas fittings to ensure they’re free of rust and corrosion, too. If you spot any, have a plumber come out to check your system and make any necessary repairs.
• Flush: Flushing your water heater will help get rid of the sediment and scale that collect in the tank. You can do this yourself. Start by grabbing a bucket and putting it underneath the bottom valve. Let a few gallons drain and collect in the bucket. If there’s a large amount of sediment, turn the thermostat down or completely off. Then drain your water heater all the way, fill with fresh water and reset the thermostat. This should solve any sediment-related problems, but if you continue to notice issues, call a plumber.
• Test and replace the valves: Your plumber will also test and (if necessary) replace the different valves in your water heater, including the pressure relief valve—this is designed to keep the pressure at a manageable level.
• Listen for gurgling or groaning sounds: You might hear some gurgling or groaning after you flush your water heater. Generally, these are nothing to worry about, but if they persist, you may need to replace your drain valve or flush the air from the tank.

Once your water heater maintenance is complete, turn the thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and always set it to “vacation” mode when you’re leaving town for more than a couple days. If you have insulation around your water heater, be sure to ask your plumber if it needs to be adjusted or replaced.

For professional maintenance or to schedule water heater repair in Colorado Springs, CO, reach out to Affordable Rooter today.

Categorised in: Water Heaters

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