Wouldn’t it be great if you could see the future and get your water heater repaired before it breaks down? In reality, you don’t need to be clairvoyant to prevent the need for an emergency water heater repair. As long as you provide proper maintenance, you can expect your heater to work well. Learn more about the importance of maintenance in McHenry and what benefits you will experience.
Your Water Heater Matters
If you don’t already realize the role your water heater plays, take some time to think about it. Every day, you use your water heater multiple times. When you wash your clothes, do the dishes, and shower, the water heater comes to the rescue. Life without hot water is possible, but it’s extremely difficult.
One of the reasons your hot water heater needs maintenance is because it’s such a useful appliance. With so much frequent use, your heater takes a beating. It won’t continue to work well unless you take care of it.
And if your water heater does fail you, life will get complicated. You need to call a McHenry plumbing company for a repair and wait for them to get to you. If you don’t use a reputable company, you may have to wait days or even weeks for help. In the meantime, you won’t have any hot water.
What Affects Your Water Heater?
There are several reasons your water heater needs regular maintenance. For instance, all of the following details take a toll on your system:
Hard Water
Depending on where you live, you could have hard water. When a home has hard water, calcium is abundant in the plumbing system. The calcium hardens inside the water heater and can cause trouble for the system.
If you’re not sure you have hard water, you can ask your plumber. There are ways to check the mineral content of your water. In doing so, you can find out if your water heater needs more attention. You need to flush your water heater frequently to prevent blockages. Even if you don’t have hard water, your water still has minerals in it. At the very least, you should flush the system once each year.
If you don’t flush the heater, the minerals will build up and form large rocks. Once they get a certain size, the rocks are stuck in your tank. They prevent the system from heating up the water and could lead to serious problems.
Rust
Although water heaters are designed with a glass wall inside the tank, rust can still develop. Unfortunately, rust is your enemy and weakens the metal of your tank. There’s only a small amount of time before a rusty water heater develops a leak.
During regular maintenance, a technician looks for rust. They may be able to catch the issue before you spring a leak.
The Benefits of Regular Maintenance
When you maintain your hot water heater, you experience several benefits. These include the following:
Increased Safety
Your water heater has several features designed to keep you safe. However, those devices may not always work the way they should. During a maintenance check, your plumber examines and tests all of the safety devices.
One of the most important devices is the pressure relief valve. Without this valve, an increase in pressure in the tank could result in an explosion. The valve allows pressure to escape the tank, which removes any danger. Over time, the valve can stop working and fail to keep you safe.
Increased Lifespan
On average, a hot water heater only lasts from eight to twelve years. You probably would prefer to save your money and extend the life of your heater as much as possible. One of the only ways to do that is to ensure your water heater gets regular maintenance.
It’s the same with any appliance, vehicle, or clothing item. If you don’t give it extra care every so often, it won’t last. Maintenance is an investment, and it pays off in the end.
More Efficiency
As part of their maintenance checklist, your plumber will flush the water heater. The flush is a way to get rid of calcium buildup, which happens to be one of the most common causes of water heater inefficiency.
If you don’t do anything about the calcium buildup, the minerals settle on the bottom of the heater. The heating elements take longer to heat up the water, or may completely fail. To improve your water heater’s functionality, you need routine maintenance.
Save Money
Owning a home is expensive. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make homeownership more affordable. One of those measures is to receive regular maintenance on all of your appliances, including your water heater.
When a plumber checks over your water heater, they may notice issues that could eventually lead to system failure. A simple maintenance call could save you from needing a costly repair or a complete water heater replacement.
Reduce Stress
The stress of a broken water heater is enough to make you miserable. If you want to minimize your stress, you should consider working with a plumber for water heater maintenance. With a decreased need for repairs, you can limit your stress.
You also get peace of mind. If you don’t take care of your water heater, you never know when it will fail you. Why lose sleep over your water heater? By getting maintenance on your heater, you can rest easy knowing your water heater is unlikely to fail you.
What Happens if You Don’t Replace the Water Heater?
At some point in time, you will need to replace your water heater. No amount of maintenance will allow your system to live forever.
When the time comes, it’s essential to call for help right away. The longer you wait to replace your water heater, the greater the chance of you experiencing a serious plumbing issue.
Here at Combat Plumbing, we can handle your annual maintenance in McHenry as well as the installation of a new system. If you’re ever in need of an emergency water heater repair, maintenance, or installation, you can count on us.
