The holidays are coming up, and the last thing you want is for the hot water to go out when you have a house full of family and friends. To keep your water heater functioning properly through the holiday season, here are a few maintenance tips.
1. Inspect Your Water Heater for Damage
The first step in water heater maintenance is to inspect your water heater for any signs of damage. Look for water leaks on or around the tank. Feel the valves and even check the ceiling and walls for any signs of leaks, rust, condensation, or water damage.
Also keep your ears open too for any unusual sounds like crackling, popping or hissing. Some sounds are normal for a properly-functioning water heater, such as hissing sounds when air escapes through valves, but if your water heater is making more sounds or louder sounds than usual, give us a call.
2. Reduce the Temperature Slightly
Most water heaters are turned up hotter than they need to be. Do you find yourself adding plenty of cold water to your hot water to reach a comfortable temperature? If so, you could benefit by reducing the temperature setting.
Turning down the temperature setting by a couple degrees can reduce wear and tear on your water heater. It will even save you a few bucks every month on your utility bills.
3. Insulate Your Water Heater to Reduce Heat Loss
It’s not uncommon in colder states to wrap a layer of insulation around the water heater, but even with our more temperate climate, insulation can be helpful. Insulating your water heater can prevent heat loss. That makes it easier for your water heater to maintain the proper water temperature without using up extra gas or electricity. This increased efficiency can lower your utility bills and extend the life of your water heater.
4. Drain the Water Heater and Flush Out Sediment
To improve your water heater’s longevity, it’s a good idea to drain it once a year. It’s easier than you might think, but if you don’t feel confident, simply bring in one of our plumbers. Otherwise, follow the procedure outlined below.
- Shut off water supply and gas/electricity.
- Wait for hot water to cool down.
- Attach a standard garden hose to the drain valve.
- Run hot water from a nearby faucet to relieve pressure.
- Open the drain valve and safely drain water outside the home.
- Turn on the water supply to flush sediment from the tank.
- Shut off water supply and remove hose.
- Turn water back on to refill the tank.
- Turn gas/electricity back on.
5. Call Your Plumber
If your water heater isn’t heating your water properly or is making strange noises, now is the time to call in the pros, before things get worse. However, you don’t have to wait until your hot water goes out to give us a call. We’re happy to provide plumbing inspections to see if your water heater and plumbing system show signs of potential plumbing problems.
Don’t let water heater problems ruin your holiday plans. Follow the water heater tips above, and don’t hesitate to call us at Gordon AC & Plumbing today for water heater repairs in Monroe, LA.
