Water heating is essential in our daily lives. We need hot water for bathing, cleaning, cooking, and other home activities for our everyday routine. Thanks to technology, water heaters have been making our lives a lot more comfortable and hassle-free when it comes to heating water for our needs. Water heaters may be gas-fueled or electrically powered. They may have a storage tank or they may be tankless. Today, let us talk about electric tank-type water heaters.
Electric tank-type water heaters heat and keep a specific amount of water in a cylinder or storage tank. These water heaters supply a high flow of hot water to several faucets and showers all at once. They heat the water pretty fast especially if the system has two heating elements. The thermostat, meanwhile, is used to control the temperature used to heat the water. Now you should remember that water heaters require regular care and maintenance. If they won’t be properly maintained, you can expect a lot of issues to arise. And for this very reason, let us provide you some simple maintenance tips to keep your water heater in tip-top shape!
1. Instead of setting the thermostat so high, keep it at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. This will not only keep the system efficient but will also cut down on its operating expenses. You may actually save up to 5% on energy costs for every 10 degrees of thermostat temperature reduction.
2. To avoid problems, there should always be a clearance of two feet surrounding your water heater tank. The Space will allow your system to breathe and avoid overheating.
3. Check your Temperature & Pressure (T&P) valve annually. Simply discharge the valve two to three times. Be very observant of leaks. If you see water coming out of the valve or if it won’t go back to its original position after discharging it, call your plumber.
4. If you have an old water heater, you should keep the tank insulated. This will reduce the amount of standby heat loss. You may use a fiberglass jacket to keep the tank safe from cold temperature.
5. Insulate the supply pipes especially during cold months. This will not only reduce heat loss but also avoid burst or frozen pipes.
6. Inspect the tank’s sacrificial anode rod. You should have it replaced when more than 6 inches of its steel core is apparent; when it’s already half an inch thick or when it is already coated with calcium.
7. Most importantly, you should drain or flush the tank twice a year. Doing so will get rid of the debris and sediments that accumulate at the bottom of the tank thus resulting to efficiency. To flush the tank, turn the cold water supply first. Get a garden hose and connect it to the water heater tank’s drain valve. Put the end of the hose in a bucket and then turn the drain valve on. Keep on re-filling the tank half way and draining it several times until the water comes out clear.