Regular maintenance each year before summer ensures that your water heater is running optimally. This makes certain that everything is working efficiently with your water heater so that you can have hot water when you need it. It will also help keep your energy bills lower because the water heater is not forced to work harder to provide the hot water that you need. When your water heater works harder to heat the same amount of water, there is a chance that you will need more repairs than you expect.
In this guide, we are going to take a look at five benefits that you will notice when having a professional plumber do maintenance on your water heater before summer begins.
1. Boost in Energy Efficiency
If you have hard water in your home, it will bog down a water heater and create a lot of sediment at the bottom of the tank. The sediment that settles at the base of the tank will eventually create a barrier between the water and the heating element. This barrier acts like insulation and keeps the water that you are trying to heat at a cooler temperature. This means that the unit needs to work harder to heat the water that is behind the sediment.
Once a professional from our team clears away the sediment in the tank, the water heater is going to have an easier time doing its job. This means that it will heat water much more efficiently, and your water energy bills will likely be lower. If the unit can heat water faster, the individual parts of the unit are likely to last much longer before they need replacement.
2. Extends the Water Heater’s Lifespan
Most water heaters that receive regular maintenance will have a longer lifespan. When a professional plumber from our team performs maintenance, we are able to take care of minor issues that could turn into something much larger in the future. By catching potential issues early, you can easily add years to the life of your water heater. In fact, a well-maintained water heater can serve you well for a period of 15 years. Whereas one that is not maintained can need replacement in as little as six years.
Preventing rust, corrosion, and other issues is much cheaper to manage during regular maintenance than replacing the water heater completely. Don’t make the mistake of skipping out on regular maintenance. If you avoid maintenance in the summer, problems could worsen, requiring you to upgrade to a new water heater to keep getting the hot water that you need in your home.
If your water heater is near the end of its lifespan, it is even more important to get regular maintenance until it becomes time to replace it. If you find that it is replacement time, then consider a tankless water heater for your home. It will take up much less space and provide hot water on demand for your entire household. This is ideal for larger families because you won’t need to wait for the water heater to refill the tank with water and reheat it when you use it all.
In addition, this type of water heater will last between 20 and 30 years, so it is an investment well worth considering for your home. Tankless water heaters also tend to be more efficient, especially if your household uses less than 40 gallons of hot water each day.
3. Less Likely Breakdowns
With regular maintenance, unexpected breakdowns of the water heater are less likely to occur. You want to do this maintenance in the spring before summer hits. This is because during the hotter season of the year, you are likely to have more people visiting your home, which means you and your family are going to be using more overall hot water.
Maintenance allows you to catch issues before they require major repairs. Being proactive with this maintenance before summer will ensure that you have consistent hot water when you need it. Nothing is more embarrassing than having a guest stay at your home, and the water heater malfunctions. This would cause them to take a cold shower because of an unexpected issue that leaves your home without hot water.
4. Less Chance of Safety Hazards
A malfunctioning water heater can create safety hazards in your home. This might seem like an appliance that is not that dangerous, but there are risks that you do not want to expose your family to. For example, if the pressure relief valve is not functioning properly, pressure can build up inside the tank and cause an explosion in your home.
If the thermostat is set too high and not working properly, you risk burning people who use the water in your living space. Gas water heaters can have gas leaks that can lead to a fire in your home. Electric water heaters can have faulty wiring, which can lead to electrical risks, including fire and electric shock. All of these potential risks are avoidable if you maintain your water heater at least once a year.
5. Better Water Quality
When your water heater has a lot of sediment and minerals in the tank, there is a chance that this waste can get into the water that you are heating to use in your home. That said, the hot water will not be unsafe to use. However, the color may not be as clear as you would like it, and there is a chance that the hot water will taste different from the cold water. When we flush the tank during spring maintenance, this will clear out the sediment and improve the quality of the hot water.
Staying Compliant With Warranty Requirements
One of the things that you will find is that most water heaters have a warranty that requires you to have regular maintenance scheduled at least once a year. This is to ensure that the unit is properly taken care of when it is in your home. It also ensures that you can save money on the investment that you made when you installed a new water heater in your home. Check your specific warranty to find the details of which repairs and replacements it covers so that you are not spending extra money when you don’t need to.
Contact a Reliable Plumbing Service Today
At Drain Works Plumbing, our plumbing services professionals has over 75 years of experience serving the Minneapolis area. We know how important spring maintenance is for your water heater, so we are committed to prioritizing your plumbing needs. Contact our team and schedule maintenance once a year, which can help you keep your money in your pocket.
We are able to combine speed and knowledge to exceed your expectations. We want your plumbing system to run as smoothly as our own. You can also contact us for repairs or new installation needs.
We are one of the top plumbing companies in the Minneapolis area, and we offer a guarantee on all of our work. Contact us today at Drain Works Plumbing to schedule an appointment.
