One of the most important appliances in your home, your water heater needs proper routine maintenance to keep it functioning as it should; however, many people ignore the care instructions in the owner’s manual until it is too late. When you do not follow a maintenance schedule for your water heater, you might wake up one morning to find that there is no hot water, or even worse, that your water heater has burst and flooded your bathroom. Since 2003, Steele Plumbing has been the preferred plumber in the San Diego area, and we have helped many residents with their water heater issues. Our professional plumbing experts provide 24/7 emergency services so you should never hesitate to contact us whenever you have a plumbing problem. We also take pride in educating our customers with maintenance tips, and we would like to share with you some steps from Instructables to regularly maintain your water heater.
Get to know your water heater.
One of the first steps you should take is to know whether your water heater is gas or electric. If there is a pilot light, it is definitely gas. Read your owner’s manual to see how to turn it off safely. You should also look to see where the water shut off valve, the pressure release valve, and the water drain are located.
Gather your supplies.
Once you have determined where everything is on your water heater, you are ready to begin the important annual maintenance task of draining the appliance. After you turn the water heater off, you will need to gather together a hose, a bucket, and a pair of gloves to protect your hands from hot steam and water.
Drain the water heater.
First, you will turn off the water supply to the appliance and attach your hose to the water drain. Then you can turn on the water drain to release the water. You also need to open the pressure release valve so that air can enter the water heater to allow the water to drain completely. Do not be surprised to see dirt and sediment in the water as it drains. This is why you are doing this maintenance task. You should give it about 10 to 30 minutes for all of the water to drain.
Flush out all of the sediment.
To completely flush the water heater, turn off the drain, remove the hose, and place your bucket beneath the water drain. Make sure the pressure valve is still open, turn the water drain back on, and let the rest of the sentiment to fully drain. Once the water is clear, you are ready for the next step.
Refill the tank.
Turn off the water drain, close the pressure release valve, and turn the water back on to fill the tank. You should always wait until the tank has been completely filled before you turn the gas or circuit breaker back on. If you turn it back on too soon, you risk causing heating damage to your water heater.
If you come across any problems during this routine maintenance task, such as leaks in the water valve or the pressure release valve, you should contact us at Steele Plumbing as soon as possible. We can quickly repair or replace your water heater no matter when it happens with our 24/7 emergency services.
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