A water heater is an essential appliance in any household, especially during the colder months of the year, but they do sometimes have a tendency to break down sooner than expected. While all electronic appliances will break down sooner or later, it is possible to increase the lifetime of any water heater by taking just a few precautionary steps, which we will discuss next.
Get Your Tank Installed by a Professional
The quality of the installation is of utmost importance when it comes to hot water tanks, so don’t call a friend or a relative who is a DIY enthusiast and don’t try to do it all by yourself either. Get your hot water tank installation done by professionals who have years of experience to back them up. A proper installation is both the first and the most important step that anyone can take towards making a water heater last longer. Considering the fact that a faulty installation may require a reinstallation, which would double the expenses for the same job, this one is pretty much a no-brainer.
Flush the Tank
Flushing a hot water tank is necessary to clear out the iron and other mineral deposits from inside the tank, and you can do it on your own, provided you have a little bit of experience. Just in case you do not have the know-how, it is better to call in a professional to get your tank flushed once a year.
Install an Anode Rod Inside the Water Tank
The anode rod can most definitely prolong the life of your hot water tank and it does so by keeping the inside from corroding over time. A metal tank is protected by a glass lining to prevent corrosion, which may crack after a few years. When the glass lining cracks enough, metal corrosion begins inside the tank as the corrosive minerals come in contact with the metal, compromising the water heater’s longevity and efficiency. An anode rod delays the cracking and the subsequent corrosion by attracting the corrosive particles. It is best to get it fitted by professionals during the initial installation.
Maintenance
Every appliance needs some maintenance and a water heater is no exception. Make sure that when you call in the professionals to have your tank flushed once every year, they also check the entire system for electrical faults, cracks, leaks, and other issues. Also, you may want to brush up a bit on the basics of thermostat management, as it is crucial to obtaining optimum efficiency from the water heater.
No water heater can last forever, and you should consider changing a faulty water heater if it’s already more than a decade old. Nonetheless, these four tips should help you get a few more years out of the hot water tank than most people are able to. Even more importantly, with proper installation and regular maintenance, it won’t break down on a cold, winter morning without notice.
