Top 10 Water Heater Tips
Sometimes applying a little bit of information about your water heater can save you hundreds of dollars and make your water heater last up to 10 times longer! The following 10 water heater tips are meant to do just that. Note: If you are unsure on how to apply any of the following repairs on your water heater in San Diego County; Call us now at 800-269-8963, or fill out an online service request to receive our 24/7 anytime water heater repair guarantee.
Top 10 Water Heater Tips:
1. To extend the life of your water heater, drain the tank annually to remove any sediment that may have built up inside it. Be careful to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions. The water draining could be extremely HOT.
2. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater! It’s easy and setting your water heater thermostat to a mid to low range will still provide plenty of hot water, prevent scalding in the water heater, and save money on energy costs.
3. Purchase a hot water insulation jacket for your water heater. By insulating, it will keep the hot water heated longer, reduce standby heat loss (heat lost through the walls of the tank) by 25–40%, and further save on heating costs.
4. Tankless Water heaters provide hot water right where you need it, when you need it, without a storage tank. Using electricity, gas, or propane as a heat source, tankless water heaters, in some cases, can cut your water-heating bill by 10 to 20 percent. They save money by not wasting energy heating water that will go unsued.
5. Have a gas furnace or stove and an electric water heater? you will save money in the long run if you extend the gas line to your water heater as well. Electric water heaters usually cost approximately 3 times more to heat up, natural gas is cheaper and more economical.
6. If you live in a rural area that has propane service instead of natural gas, propane is usually less expensive than electricity. When replacing your water heater, ask your plumber to extend the propane line to your water heater.
7. Install water saving showerheads in your bathrooms and aerated faucets in your sinks. This reduces the amount of hot water used in-turn; reducing energy costs and giving your water heater a longer life span.
8. Insulating your hot water pipes will reduce heat loss as the hot water is flowing to your faucet. More importantly, it will reduce standby heat loss when the tap is turned off and then back on later. Very often energy and water is wasted waiting for the hot water to reach the tap. Even when pipes are insulated, the water in the pipes will eventually cool, but it will stay warmer longer than it would if the pipes weren’t insulated.
9. Try atleast once every couple years to have your water heater inspected by a certified plumbing technician. This will keep it in optimal operating condition, and will prevent dangerous carbon monoxide problems.
10. Have a Certified technician replace the anode rod about every five years. This small metal device sacrifices itself for the good of the entire unit. The corrosive chemicals in the water are drawn to the anode rod, instead of eating away at the inside of the tank itself.
These 10 water heater maintenance tips will hopefully save you money and make your hot water delivery system last longer.
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- Water Heater Energy Saving Solutions
- Energy Efficient Plumbing
- Water Heater Maintenance
- Home Energy – Efficiency & Audits
- Essential Guide to Tankless Water Heaters
April 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
My water heater makes popping noises all the time. I tried draining it by putting a hose on the brass faucet on the waterheater and letting the water drain out. Hot water came out for only a short time and then it was cool water. I watched for sediment to come out, none did. That can’t be right! The popping came back immediately. The water was still hot in the kitchen faucet. What did I do wrong? What should I do?
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 am
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April 11th, 2009 at 5:02 am
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This sounds bad but i sell steam showers but only have very basic plumbing knowledge, but thanks to your site i have been able to solve a lot of problems.
Many thanks.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Good Post ! thanks
May 6th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Good info, but if you drain your water heater every year, or every day for that matter, it will make no difference if you do not have it checked by a professional. There is an anode that is a rod about 1/2″ round and 3 feet long that screws in the top. It prevents the tank from rusting. It sort of sacrifices itself by slowly being eaten away –a sacrificial lamb you might say– to save the tank. My water heater (after 3 children grew up and moved out and left stuff behind) died the other day and made a huge mess of water all over because I was unable to get to the unit to check it due to their stuff.
POINT: If you do not have it checked, drain it, and make sure you replace the anode on a periodic basis. Mine was an inch long. Had I changed it when it was a foot long, I potentially could have saved myself a new water heater, a huge mess, and lots of grief.
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