Water heater systems can last a long time, but they’ll last even longer if you take proper care of them. Considering the cost of buying and installing a water heater in your home, you probably want to get as many years as you can out of it. If you’re concerned about getting the most out of your water heater before having to replace it, don’t worry! We’ve outlined some great tips below that should help you prolong the life of your water heater for as long as possible.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance Appointments
We’ll cover some of the more common issues that can affect water heater systems below, and when you should call for repairs. Ideally, though, you should try to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Waiting for obvious symptoms before calling for repairs is only going to provide more time for the problem to damage the system.
Scheduling preventive maintenance appointments at least once a year is the best way to catch problems early, and limit the damage they can cause. Your technician will go over your entire system in detail, locate any areas that might be developing some sort of problem, and fix them. This can reduce the odds of a serious issue afflicting your system by up to 90%, and improve operating efficiency by up to 40%. This is by far the easiest way to save money and extend your system’s effective lifespan at the same time.
Know When to Call for Repairs
Preventive maintenance is wonderful for limiting the odds of a serious problem afflicting your water heater. It’s not a guarantee, though. You still need to keep an eye out for any and all signs that your system is in need of repairs, so that you can have it checked out as quickly as possible. You may not be able to prevent all of the damage by doing this, but at least you can make sure it doesn’t get any worse. The following are just a few of the many indications that your water heater might be in need of professional repair services:
- Falling heating capacity
- No heating capacity
- Leaks
- Rapid fluctuations in water temperature
- Visible rust
These are just a few of the many possible symptoms that can indicate your water heater being in some sort of trouble. Because rapid response is key for limiting the damage the problem can do to your system, we recommend calling for repairs if any sort of behavior coming from the water heater makes you suspicious. It might end up being nothing significant, but you have no way of knowing that until you have a professional take a look at it.
