How to Maintain Your Water Heater?

Don't click here >>
To maintain your water heater, you have to understand how it works. So, how does it work? Basically, a water heater is a tank that holds and heats water. First, it needs a heat element to heat the water. It can be a gas burner or an electric element. It also needs a thermostat to control the temperature of the water. Then, of course, you need an input of cold water and an output for the hot water.

Back to TOP  

It also has elements dedicated for safety measures. It has a pressure relief valve, or temperature pressure relief valve (TPRvalve), which is a safety device that releases pressure from the tank if the temperature or pressure gets too high. For other safety purposes, it has a vent for combustion gases.

To increase its efficiency, a metal rod that prevents corrosion and smells from the water, called an anode, is present in the hot water tank. The input of cold water is directed by a dip tube to the bottom of the tank. And in case you need to empty the tank, there is a drain valve near the bottom.

If you want to attempt to repair your water heater, you must be used to working with tools. But every average person can flush or drain a water heater, even test the TPR valve. One of the easiest repairs you can do is draining your water heater.

Draining will keep the water from smelling stale and remove sediments inside the storage tank. First, turn the thermostat down. Let the water cool down for a couple hours before turning off the cold water input. Connect the bottom of the tank to a nearby drain or, possibly, the outside of the house with a hose.

You need to put air on top of the tank to let the water drain. Do this by opening a hot water tap in the house. Now you can finally open the drain valve on the water tank. Wait for all the water to be drained from the tank.

To remove the sediments at the bottom of the water tank, turn the cold water input on and off a few times until you see that the water coming out is clear. Remove the hose, but make sure that the cold water input is off. You can now turn off the hot water tap you turned on a while ago. Close the drain valve, refill the tank and turn the thermostat back up.

Back to TOP  

Don't click here >>