What are the benefits of an annual water heater flush and maintenance?
One of the most critical aspects of your Buffalo, New York home’s plumbing is your water heater. Water heaters are used in daily routines for things like showering, doing laundry, and washing the dishes. Due to them being used so often; it is common for water heaters to wear out or breakdown and monitoring them is an important ongoing task. What are the benefits of an annual water heater flush and maintenance?
Benefits of water heater maintenance:
The average lifespan of a water heater is around 10 years. With the right annual maintenance and upkeep, you can extend the life of your water heater by several years, while also making it operate more efficiently.
Some benefits of an annual water heater flush and maintenance include:
Cost Savings and Increased Efficiency
Sediment buildup is common in water heaters and can be a key contributor to making your Western New York system less efficient. Hearing banging or knocking noises coming from your water heater, this is likely a sign that you need to have your water heater flushed. Flushing your water heater on at least an annual basis will help you to save money on your next utility bill and get hot water quicker.
Less Chance of Costly Breakdown and Repairs
On average, homeowners have a plumber in their home once every three years. If you have annual water heater maintenance, a technician can catch water heater leaks, corrosion, or anything else that is prohibiting your system from working at 100%, prior to it becoming a major problem.
Uninterrupted Water Usage
No one likes surprises. Having to take a cold shower or coming home to a flood in your basement from a broken water heater, is not ideal. Having regular water heater maintenance will help you avoid surprises from your water heater.
What is a water heater flush?
Over time, sediment and corrosion can begin to collect inside the water heater tank, typically at the bottom. This material is brought in from the tap but is not typically discharged when hot water is sent to the faucets and shower heads in your home. When enough buildup has collected, it can start to negatively impact the water heater’s efficiency and performance, essentially forming an insulating layer between the heating element and the water in the tank.
With natural gas heaters, this sediment can cause uneven heating on the tank that eventually causes leaks. With electric heaters, scaling can burn out the lower heating element. And in both, sediment buildup can clog the drain valve.
To clear this sediment, you’ll need to flush your water heater. During this process, the tank will be drained through a hose, removing the existing sediment and corrosion. The tank then refills with fresh, clear water.
Buffalo, New York homeowners should flush their water heaters every six months or so, but if you have extremely hard water, you may want to do it more often. Flushing your hot water heater could be necessary as often as every few months depending on the mineral content of your local water supply.
At Reimer Home Services, we recommend that homeowners here in Buffalo and Western New York keep up with their water heater maintenance.
Contact Reimer for all your water heater repair, maintenance, and replacement needs. Our plumbers are available Day or Night, and we don’t charge you anything extra for service on nights or weekends. Your water heater problems are our priority.
