Most people tend to overlook their hot water system as long as it’s running well and good. However, it’s essential to pay close attention to your hot water system periodically and invest some time, money and efforts for its maintenance. The more you keep it in good condition, the more money you save and lesser calls for repair service.
With the growing hot water requirements across households and commercial spaces, there is an increased demand for the hot water system. The cost of a water heater has also increased considerably over the years. Yet, some sellers continue to offer budget-friendly hot water systems. Click here if you want to look into some budget-friendly hot water systems.
Good maintenance and care will help you prolong the system’s work efficiency. Besides, these maintenance tasks are not complex, and some have to be performed only once and a few only annually.
Here are some maintenance tips to enhance the life and efficiency of your hot water system.
Know Your Heater
If you buy a new hot water system yourself, you probably will have a good idea about it. But if you have purchased a house with a water heater already installed, then check its type, make and model. These are some essential information you must convey to the water heater technician.
Check for the warranty information which you will find on the water heater tank. Compare the warranty and the unit’s age. If the warranty has expired, make it your first task to check any malfunctions from time to time. If you have a gas storage hot water system, click here to know more information about it.
Keep An Eye On The Pressure Relief Valve
If there is too much pressure build-up, the water heater can explode. But they come with safety valves that can release the built-up pressure. Test the valve after you turn off the power and cold water supply valve.
Place a bucket under the pressure release valve and lift the valve to release the water. Ideally, the water should stop flowing, if it does not, then the tank should be drained partly, and you have to replace the old valve.
Do Not Keep Heaters On For A Long Time
Most of the time, you tend to forget to turn off the heaters in the mornings after the usage. There is a general thought that, as everybody needs hot water in the mornings, keeping the hot water system on will save time.
But, nowadays, the newer hot water systems take only five minutes to heat the water. The gas hot water system is one such model. Click here, for gas water heaters which take very little time to heat water.
Keeping it on for a long time can affect the water heater’s life. The best practice is to turn it on just five minutes before use.
Lower The Temperature
When you use the hot water systems at low temperatures, it helps reduce risks of scalding, energy costs and wear and tear of the appliance. Choosing the right temperature for the water heater can be difficult.
If the temperature is very low, pathogens like legionella can survive in it. It dies away when the temperature is set at 122 degrees in 80 to 120 minutes.
Lower the dial on the water heater to reduce the temperature. Check your model’s user manual and figure out where the thermostat is and then adjust the temperature.
If you do not have much experience with the maintenance work for a hot water system, you can get annual maintenance done by a water heater technician or a plumber. It is still important to keep an eye on certain basic check-ups that do not require any assistance.
