Why It’s Important to Perform Water Heater Maintenance
Just like the engine in your car, the water heater in your home can be thought of in the same respect. Moreover, just like having your vehicle inspected on a yearly basis, the unit that heats your water supply should be inspected just about the same, if not, even more frequently.
Ultimately, a water heater needs regular maintenance to not only provide hot water, but also to work efficiently, saving you money in the process. Still not sure why you should make that appointment? Let us provide a few, helpful insights:
Signs Your Water Heater Needs Maintenance
Sometimes, a homeowner may be a tad too late when it comes to saving their water heater. Unlike patching up a hole in a flat tire, if your unit is out of commission, you’ll either need to have it repaired or replaced altogether. Before your water heater gets to that point in its life, there are a few signs to look out for. One of the most common? The lack of hot water in your home.
Lack of Hot Water
Think of it like this: if you placed a pot of water on the stove and your appliance doesn’t turn on, then you’ll have flat, cold water on your hands — and not an ounce of heat. When a water heater is on its way out of commission, the water heater will start to take much longer to produce hot water, eventually not providing any at all.
This is usually a result of the heating element blowing a fuse or the pilot light not being able to ignite. Another common sign of needing water heater maintenance? You hear an array of strange sounds throughout your home.
Strange Sounds
Unlike the horror film you may have had on the other night, a water heater that’s in need of maintenance will make a medley of ~wild~ sounds that might make you think that your home is haunted. While your home may be entirely free of ghosts, those rumbling, clinking, banging noises coming from the water heater are something you should never ignore — because you could have a severe and expensive problem on your hands.
The reason behind the sounds, most of the time, is that there is tank build-up, which needs to be flushed — and when you schedule regular water heater maintenance, this is something that can be detected and completed early on.
Failing Thermostat
Just like the HVAC temperature controlling device in your home, it’s essential to make sure that the thermostat on your water heater is in pristine condition, too. Think of it like this: if you adjusted the HVAC thermostat in your home to make your living room warmer and after fifteen minutes it’s still cold, you’ll either need to replace the batteries or your overall thermostat to get it up and running again.
When it comes to a water heater thermostat, replacing a set of batteries isn’t really what it entails (unlike a HVAC device) — but the task is rather simple to complete when you hire an experienced, licensed plumber for the job. If you happen to opt-in for water heater maintenance, then these potential problems could be avoided, but how so?
What Water Heater Maintenance Entails
A Full-System Check
Just like scheduling a yearly health physical with your doctor, having regularly scheduled maintenance visits for your water heater are just as important, believe it or not. Wouldn’t you feel much more at ease knowing that your unit is functioning correctly, rather than coming home from a long day at work, to find that there isn’t a trace of hot water circulating throughout your plumbing? If you’re looking to avoid this altogether, then having a water heater maintenance appointment with our team will prevent this from happening — but how so?
Preventative Measures
Whether your water heater is in top-of-the-line condition or you feel as if it has seen better days, our team will be able to evaluate your heater from top-to-bottom with ease. On the day of your appointment, one of our courteous, knowledgeable technicians will come to your home with all of the essentials tools and parts they’ll need to make sure that not only is your unit running correctly, but to also be prepared to prevent any potential problems from happening if they run into any red flags.
Repairs on the Spot
Just like preventing a potential problem from arising with your water heater, if our technician happens to notice anything out of the ordinary that’s currently diminishing your unit’s performance (i.e., a leak at the base), they’ll fix it right on the spot. Then once the repair is made, they’ll give your unit another examination, to make sure that everything is in place and that all problems have been resolved.
The Benefits
When maintenance is performed on your water heater, of course, there are a series of benefits that will not only help your unit in the long run but will also help you, the homeowner, too. If you’re not sure what to look forward to, here are a few of the many benefits you’ll see:
Runs Efficiently
Sometimes when a water heater is about to give out, it will work twice as hard to produce the hot water that your desire. Sure, your unit will still give the appearance that it’s working just fine — but that will also increase your energy bills in the long run.
Think about it: when a machine has to exert more energy than what’s needed, it will require more power to do so — which has the chance to raise your monthly utility bills tremendously. When your unit is maintained regularly, we’ll make sure that it’s running as smoothly as possible, which will save you money and decrease your overall bills.
Increases Lifespan
On average, storage tank water heaters will last anywhere from 10 to 15 years, while tankless units can last up to 20 years. Since these units will wear down over time, that lifespan can decrease if your water heater isn’t taken care of properly. However, opting for regular maintenance will help add about five years onto your unit’s lifespan — which will help it live up to its investment value, making for a powerful water heater for the years to come.
Keeps Your Home Safe
Another benefit is that it will keep your water heater in the clear when it comes to any potential issues — such as leakage. Typically when a storage tank leaks at the base, the water will begin to form a puddle, which can travel if the water is ignored. Additionally, if the leaking persists, any dark area that comes in contact with the water will then have the chance of a mold formation. To prevent this, maintenance will take care of any leak, or potential leak, and will keep your unit in the clear.
How We Can Help
If you’re looking to keep your water heater in pristine condition, we can help. Whether it’s a storage tank or tankless unit, our team will give it a thorough look and will make sure that potential problems are taken care of, while keeping it running as efficiently as possible!
Are you looking to schedule your water heater maintenance appointment? Contact Parobek Plumbing, LLC today at (512) 910-8123 to speak to a representative!
