The cold weather that arrives this winter can make your water heater work hard and be more prone to repairs. Let’s explore the steps to avoid the hassles and minimize your expenses.

Schedule Professional Water Heater Service

Hire a professional to perform your water heater maintenance. A plumber will conduct a multipoint inspection and a comprehensive cleaning. They’ll also take care of the other tasks we’ll discuss in the sections ahead. A service appointment is also an opportunity to ask questions and receive professional advice.

Test the Ventilation

Fuel-burning water heaters create toxic gases as a byproduct of combustion. That’s why they have an exhaust system to vent those gases outside the home. An annual inspection is important to eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and other indoor air quality issues. A plumber will also check your carbon monoxide detectors and can replace batteries or recommend replacing the devices as needed.

Check the Combustion Area and Surrounding Space

It’s important to clean and calibrate the combustion equipment. This ensures safe operation and clean, efficient fuel burning. You also need to clean the water heater area. There shouldn’t be any dust, old newspapers, or other materials that can ignite.

Inspect the Insulation

Water heater insulation is important because you can lose a lot of energy through the hot water pipe. It’s a particularly notable concern in unheated water heater installation areas. Check the insulation along the pipe, and replace it at the first signs of wear. Fuel-burning furnaces don’t need any additional insulation because any other heat loss will occur through the exhaust. That isn’t the case with electric water heaters. A water heater jacket can help you avoid heat loss through the tank walls. An insulated base can help prevent it through the bottom of the tank.

Flush the Tank

Even the softest water supplies contain sediments and minerals. These substances build up in a tank over time as sludge and limescale. Annual flushing is important because it can remove all the scale and sludge from the system.

Check the Anode Rod

Tank water heater heaters have an anode rod. It’s a metal rod that attracts minerals and metals through electrolysis. This slows the rate at which sediment and scale accumulate. You don’t have to change it every year, but you do have to check it. Once it’s corroded, your plumber will replace it with a new rod. This will usually occur every three to five years.

Descale the System

On-demand water heaters don’t have a tank, but scale is still a big concern. Our plumber will use a recirculating pump to cycle a vinegar-water mixture system through the water heater to remove the scale.

For water heater service in Corvallis, OR, contact our team at Evenflo Plumbing today.