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Hot Water Heater Maintenance

Hot Water Heater Maintenance

As a homeowner, extending the life of your hot water heater is very important and it’s best to check your heater twice a year in order to keep it running as smoothly as possible. As a commonly used household item usually located in the garage, it affects everything that we use on a daily basis including our kitchen, bathtub and sinks. To avoid your family from ever having to take a cold shower, below are tips that you can use to protect and save your hot water heater.

Check the Temperature and Lower the Level

On the hot water heater’s temperature gauge, the temperature is usually around 115-120 degrees. You can save money on your utility bills every month if you lower the temperature just a little bit. If you lower the temperature, you can prevent your heater from overheating.

Test the Pressure Relief Valve

There’s an easy solution if you want to take a look at your heater and see if it needs to be replaced. You will need to find the pressure relief valve on your heater. Lift it halfway and it should snap back automatically to its original position. As the water is being released back down the drain tube, you will hear a noise. If the valve isn’t working properly, you will have to start looking for another heater.

Flush System

At the bottom of your hot water tank, there’s small deposits that have built up over time from running your heater. In time, it can cause rusting and corrosion. You can’t do a complete flush of the system if the water tank is completely filled up and the whole system is off.

Instructions on How to Partially Flush your Heater

At the bottom of the hot water tank is a drain valve, add a bucket or any container underneath the valve. Turn the valve counter clockwise. The heater will continue to release no more than a few gallons into the container. If you have a water heater that runs off of electricity, make sure that it’s completely turned off. If it isn’t turned off completely, it can be a safety issue and if any connections are damaged, it’s best to call a technician out to come and fix it for you. If you have a gas heater, turn off the gas and pilot light before you do anything else.

If you have any issues that are problematic, contact My Service Company and we’ll come out and fix it for you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_A_Barras

If you are looking for a Lethbridge plumber or HVAC contractor, give us a call today at 403-EASY-FIX or fill out our online request form.