Maintaining A Gas Hot Water Heater

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We rely on a water heater every single day. A gas hot water heater is generally very quiet and dependable. The life of a gas hot water heater is around 10 years. Although with some proper maintenance tips, you can easily extend the life of your heater. Maintaining your water heater will also help you save a lot of money on repairs.

By following this gas hot water heater maintenance tips, you can easily extend the life of your heater by adding some more years to it.

Drain the tank
As your gas water heater starts to age, there is calcium buildup that settles at the bottom of the tank. This can lead to a lot of problems, but most importantly it affects the heating efficiency of the heater. The tank has to work harder in order to heat up the water. This further leads to the gas hot water heater’s breakdown. To prevent the breakdown of your water heater and to keep it in a proper working condition you should drain the tank which prevents calcium buildup and further problems associated with it.

Some professional plumbers in Edmonton say that you should flush out your tank monthly, some say yearly while some say in-between. The best advice, however is to flush out your tank every four months and see how clear the water is as you drain it out. If the water is clear after four months, you can wait six months for the next service.

Check the temperature and pressure relief valve
To ensure that your tank does not get excessively hot or over pressurized, the temperature and pressure valve on your hot water tank should be checked properly. Over a period of time, scaling inside the tank can raise the inside temperature and pressure of the valve which will cause it to not operate efficiently. In the case of overheating, turn off the gas and water supply to the tank immediately. For any further help, there are many professional plumbers in Edmonton who will be able to deal with your gas hot water heater problems.

Check and replace the anode
Another problem with water heaters is corrosion. To prevent your water heater from corroding, it comes equipped with a long, replaceable rod of zinc which is called as an anode. The anode is eaten away by the corrosion and thus, your tank remains safe. You must remove the anode and check its efficiency, and replace it only when it’s partially done. This might be a difficult job for you to determine the anode’s condition, so you should call professional plumbers who can check and replace the anode for you.
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These daily maintenance tips will help you to upgrade the efficiency and extend the life of your gas hot water heater, making it less expensive at the same time.

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