Water Heater Life Span: A Little Attention Can Go a Long Way

The storage tank water heater in your home works diligently and silently behind the scenes to keep you in hot showers and clean clothes, but neglecting your system now is a recipe for disaster later. With a little periodic TLC, you can extend your water heater’s life span, increase its energy efficiency and save money on water heating costs. While most water heater maintenance tasks are fairly straightforward and can be done by a handy homeowner, a qualified HVAC professional can perform a comprehensive tune-up of your system that includes inspecting gas and electrical connections and the venting system to ensure safety and efficiency. Here are a few of the tasks that will keep your water heater humming for years to come.

Test the TPR valve

The temperature and pressure relief, or TPR, valve is an essential safety feature that prevents excessive temperatures and pressures from building up, causing a rare but dangerous explosion. The valve will be tested and, if it’s defective, replaced. Check the anode rod This metal rod prevents your tank from rusting. Over time, it corrodes and needs to be replaced. Your technician will check the rod to determine if it’s still effective and will replace it if necessary.

Drain the sediment from the tank

Sediment on the bottom of the tank acts as an insulator between the heat source and the water inside, making your system work harder and increasing its energy use. The tank will be drained and rinsed to remove the sediment. Increase efficiency There are two things you can do to considerably raise the energy efficiency of your system.

Keep your water temperature set to 120 degrees to lower your water heating costs, prevent scalding and reduce corrosion in your tank.

Insulate the hot and cold water pipes and the tank itself to save up to 9 percent on your water heating bill.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems). For more expert advice about increasing your water heater’s life span and efficiency, please contact us at Sobieski Services, Inc.

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