Water Heater Repair & Maintenance Tips #1
Water heaters are something that most people have installed, and then forget about. Many times the plumber who is installing the water heater does not take the time to educate the customer on how to make their water heater last longer.
This post will help you (the customer) by recommending tips about what you can do to maintain your water heater, or what you can schedule the professionals at Optimized Plumbing & Piping to do.
If your current Sonora plumber doesn’t offer these services. then perhaps it’s time to call Sonora’s favorite plumbing service: Optimized Plumbing & Piping.
Please note: these tips are not necessary for tankless water heaters.
Water Heater Maintenance Tips – Tip #1
Flush out the sediment from the bottom of your water heater tank. Heat forces minerals out of your water. These minerals form solids, and settle on the bottom of your tank. The sediment is mostly calcium carbonate. When the sediment builds up it creates a barrier between the water and the heat source which slows heat transfer. This causes overheating of the tank bottom, which in turn, can cause 3 potential problems:
- The glass lining in the water heater starts dissolving at temperatures above 160F this will cause rusting of the bottom of the tank.
- Severe overheating of the bottom of the tank can weaken it and cause deforming even under normal pressure.
- The sediment can also cause another problem which is: it will insulate the bottom of your water heater tank from the protection of the anode rod. It can also host to bacteria. This bacteria is not normally a health concern but it can make the sediment more corrosive. Changing out the drain valve with a full port ball valve will help more of the sediment flush out of the bottom of your water heater.
To flush out the water heater effectively, our expert plumbers from Optimized Plumbing & Piping will turn off the heat source ( the electricity on an electric water heater, or the gas supply on a gas water heater) and then turn off the supply valve.
If the supply valve is an old gate valve, now is a good time to install a new ball valve which is far more dependable. Then remove the water heater dip tube, and replace it with a curved dip tube. Sweep the bottom of the tank back and forth with the water flowing through the dip tube while the drain valve is open. If you are able to tip the water heater to the drain valve side, this also helps.
For water heater repair, maintenance or installation (tankless options also available), call Sonora’s expert plumbers at Optimized Plumbing & Piping – 209-743-9821.
Our Sonora plumbers service water heaters in the following locations in Tuolumne County and Calaveras County :
Sonora, Copperopolis, Jamestown, Groveland, Twain Harte, Mi Wuk, Angels Camp, Murphys, Arnold, San Andreas, Jackson , Oakdale , Riverbank, Merced , Modesto.