Welcome to fall! There’s always a lot to do when the weather starts to cool down. Not only are there school activities, fall sports, and gatherings and celebrations, there’s also a list of things you should do to prepare for winter. We very much hope that heating maintenance is at the top of your to-do list! But while you’re scheduling that, don’t forget other important home systems.
Your heat and AC are not the only things that should get regular check-ups from qualified professionals. Water heaters need maintenance, too, and if it’s been awhile since yours has been serviced, you should have it done this fall. Why? We’ll tell you all about it.
Avoid Common Water Heater Problems
Of course, odd things can happen to any appliance. But if you’ve got a water heater problem, chances are it’ll be one of the common ones. These include low hot water pressure, inconsistent hot water temperature, and odd noises coming from the water heater. Most of the time, all of these come down to the same cause: sediment or mineral scaling.
All water has some amount of stuff in it besides just hydrogen and oxygen. Water’s so good at dissolving things that it carries bits from all the rock it has passed through on its way to your home. Some of this settles out as sediment. Other things are deposited on surfaces—including the inside of your water heater and hot water pipes—as thin layers of minerals which gradually build up in thickness.
There’s one simple way to avoid all the potential problems that come from these substances. You simply need a plumber to flush out the system. This will wash away the sediment and minerals and drastically reduce the risk that you’ll need any water heater repair in the coming year.
Extend Your Water Heater’s Life Expectancy
The leading cause of water heater death is corrosion. Naturally, water causes metal to rust and wear away over time. But your water heater has a special component that can delay that corrosion for quite a long time. It’s called the anode rod. It’s made of a material that attracts the ions that cause oxidation, the chemical reaction which triggers rust in metals.
Thanks to the sacrifice of the anode rod, which will rust away to prevent the rest of the system from being affected, the water heater can survive for many years. But that’s only true if you get the anode rod replaced periodically! Once it’s thoroughly corroded, the oxidation will attack the tank unless you get a new anode rod put in during routine water heater maintenance.
Get Helpful Recommendations
Finally, when you have a qualified plumber taking a close look at your water heater, you can get valuable insights that we just can’t give you over the internet. Your plumber can assess the condition of your water heater, talk to you about the hardness of your water, give advice about efficiency, and tailor future maintenance recommendations to your system specifically.
In the meantime, though, our general rule is to schedule water heater maintenance once a year, so make sure you get that on your calendar! And if you have any other questions about water heaters in Chester Springs, PA, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Contact Platinum Plumbing & Heating, Inc. today to schedule an appointment with our pros.