The coming of spring means spring cleaning for many households in the area, which makes now an excellent opportunity to perform maintenance on key household appliances. We don’t think much of components like our water heater, since they are very quiet when they perform their duties and are usually located in out-of-the-way parts of the home like the basement. That can allow problems to thrive and grow, and by the time they make themselves apparent, you could be looking at replacing the water heater instead of just repairing it.
A water heater maintenance session can help prevent those problems from getting out of hand, as well as keeping it running efficiently and ensuring that you always have the safe, reliable hot water you need. Spring is an ideal time to schedule service, after a long winter and increasing demand on your hot water heater for the last few months.
What Does It Entail?
A water heater maintenance session basically gives the technician an opportunity to look over the water heater for early signs of problems. That can include things like watching for leaks, examining the heating mechanism, ensuring that the pipe fittings are secure and perform other checks to ensure everything is running as it should. It also involves some basic upkeep as well. For example, the technician will flush the water tank to remove any sediment building up on the bottom. (Sediment forms an insulating layer between the system’s heat source and the water it’s trying to warm.) The anode rod can be replaced too, which keeps your tank free of rust and avoids a lot of serious problems.
What Are the Benefits?
Ideally, you should schedule water heater maintenance at least once a year. The benefits it entails will last well beyond that, and include the following:
- Better Performance. After a water heater maintenance session, they system will perform more efficiently for you. Not only can that help lower the monthly cost of operating the water heater, but your water will stay hot for longer periods of time as well.
- Less Risk of Repairs. Because the maintenance session allows you to catch problems early, it tends to lower the risk of needing more formal repairs early on. In the event repairs are required, it gives you an early jump on them as well, meaning you can schedule them at your leisure instead of scrambling in the wake of an unexpected breakdown. Such repairs often tend to cost less too, since the damage hasn’t had as much time to spread. (And repairs always cost less than replacing the whole water heater, which is a possibility if the damage spreads too far.)
- Longer Life. With regular maintenance sessions, your water heater will often last much longer than it would without maintenance: extending its lifespan by months or even years in some cases. Considering the costs of installing a new water heater, that can add up to quite a bit in savings.
For quality water heater maintenance in Kimberly, ID and nearby communities, call the friendly pros at Evans Plumbing Inc. Evans Plumbing at your door!
