The Importance of Water Heater Maintenance
You gifted your teen their first car earlier this year. They are finishing their last year of high school before they head off to college, and you want to make sure they are prepared to live away from your Buena Park home.
Recently, you borrowed their car and noticed they were almost a thousand miles overdue for an oil change. Doh! You explained the importance of routine maintenance to keep their car running reliably and for years to come.
Yesterday, you were about to start a load of laundry when you heard a clanging sound coming from your water heater. It definitely didn’t sound good, and you wondered if you should take the advice you had given your teen. Should you regularly maintain your water heater just like your car?
How to Maintain Your Water Heater
Water heater maintenance is important for extending the life of your system and maintaining its efficiency. While you may not be looking at your water heater every day, you are using it daily. Just as your car benefits from routine care, so does your water heater.
A good start to maintaining your water heater is an annual inspection, making this a great task to add to your fall maintenance checklist. During a water heater inspection, two things should happen:
- Annual flushing cleans out all the accumulated gunk, keeps the water heater clean, and reduces scaling. The water in Orange County is pretty bad, and that’s being kind. Minerals and chemicals are in our water supply, and all of the build-up can clog up your system if you don’t properly care for your pipes. If your water heater sounds more like your washing machine, it’s time to give Barker & Sons a call.
- The second part of water heater maintenance is to replace the anode rod. An anode rod is made of metal and is located inside your water heater. It pulls minerals from the water to help reduce the accumulation of deposits on your water heater’s walls. However, it causes the rod to wear down, making it less effective as time goes on. This component is essential for extending the life of your system.
Water Softeners and Conditioners Improve Water Quality
You can further reduce the strain on your water heater and increase water quality with water treatments as well. To combat hard water in Orange County, we recommend adding a water softener and conditioner to your system.
Water softening replaces the abrasive minerals, like calcium and magnesium with different ions like hydrogen, potassium, and sodium. Water treatments have many other benefits including heating your water faster, extending the life of your other plumbing appliances, and making cleaning easier.
Another great way to reduce the harmful impact of hard water on your water heater is by installing a water filtration system. These systems clean your water to remove sediment, chemicals, and other hidden dangers. They improve your overall water quality and reduce the buildup along your water heater’s walls.
Water softeners and filtration systems are installed directly to your main water line, so every ounce of water that enters your home is treated and filtered. These systems are also easily maintained; all you have to worry about is switching out the filter cartridge per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Barker and Sons Know Water Heaters
Whether you’ve got a traditional or tankless water heater, they both require regular TLC and benefit from filtered, treated water.
When you choose Barker and Sons to inspect your water heater, you can expect a comprehensive checkup to guarantee everything is running in tip-top shape. Give us a call today to schedule your water heater inspection so you don’t have to worry about an unpleasant surprise this winter.
