Getting the Most From Your Water Heater

Say you’ve just moved into your new home with a brand new water heater. Rather than waiting until you’ve had it for a few months or years before you take steps to get as much use out of your heater as possible, it’s better that you get a jump on it now. Water heater repairs are inevitable, but there’s certainly a lot that you can do to keep those repairs from happening earlier than necessary and getting as many years out of your heater as you can at the same time.

Annual Flushing

Get into the habit of flushing your water heater at least once a year. Doing so clears out any sediment that’s built up in the tank so that it doesn’t compromise the performance and structure of the heater. You can either opt to take care of the flushing on your own, or you can hire a professional plumber to tend to the task for you. For the first flushing, you may want to bring in a pro and ask for tips on how you can tackle the job on your own in the future.

Adjust the Temperature

Everyone likes a nice, hot shower or bath after a long day, but you may have the temperature of the water set higher than it needs to be. 120 degrees is a comfortable setting, but you and your family could be fine with a temperature that’s slightly lower or a touch higher. Try going lower first to see if you can tell the difference. The lower the better, since not only will you get more use out of your heater, but you also won’t be using more energy than necessary on heating your water.

Check the Anode Rod

Your water heater’s anode rod is designed to prevent rusting inside the tank, but that rod will eventually corrode. If that happens, that corrosion will latch onto your tank and start to eat away at it rather than the rod. As you’re giving your tank a yearly check, be sure you thoroughly inspect the condition of your anode rod.

Insulate Your Pipes Your Heater

You’ve likely heard that insulating your pipes in the winter is a good way to keep them from freezing over during the colder months of the year, but the truth is that all your pipes should be insulated year-round, no matter if they’re cold water or hot water pipes. In the summer, condensation can form on your cold water pipes, and in the winter, you can lose heat from uninsulated hot water pipes. Both scenarios set you up to spend more energy than necessary, which means you’re spending more money than you need to.

On a related note, you should also insulate the heater itself so that it doesn’t bleed heat, making it work harder than it needs to keep water at your desired temperature. Just like with flushing your tank, you may want to let a professional handle the job, or at least double-check your work to ensure you’ve done it correctly.

Being proactive is always your best bet when it comes to home appliances. While most of them are designed to last a while, they can last even longer with a few great tips.