Who Wants a Cold Shower?
One thing you don’t want to worry about is whether or not your water heater will keep you from having a cold shower this winter. By following these simple preventative maintenance tips, you can avoid a cold shower, property damage from flooding, and an unexpected visit from Gary’s Quality Plumbing!
Water Heaters Only Last 10-12 Years
The average lifespan of a residential water heater is about ten to twelve years. It’s a good idea to check the age of your water heater or heaters. If you haven’t kept the installation records yourself, we can check it out and determine how old it is.
Keeping track of the age will help you anticipate problems and plan for a replacement before it becomes an emergency. You should also look it over to see if there are any drips, a tell-tale sign of impending trouble.
Cold showers or property damage from flooding are not the only reasons to keep your water heater maintained. Water heaters that are in need of replacement can leave you with soot and carbon monoxide (CO) gas, which could be deadly.
Water Heater Maintenance and Safety Tips:
Make sure your water heater is not in contact with anything flammable (wood, cardboard, etc.). If there are any combustible materials around it, we will make recommendations on how to protect against a fire hazard.
Make sure your water heater is properly vented (especially for gas water heaters). Our plumber, Danny, went out on a service call for a water heater pilot light that wouldn’t stay lit and probably saved a life. The vent pipe wasn’t even installed, but was laying next to the water heater in the closet. That was a recipe for disaster. Call us to inspect your water heater, and we will make recommendations to ensure proper ventilation, when necessary.
When we do a water heater inspection, we check the pressure relief valve. The PRV is designed to relieve extra pressure from inside the tank before it causes a failure, flooding or worse! It’s important that the valve is clear and functioning properly.
We also inspect the anode rod. The anode rod helps protect the tank from corrosion by corroding itself instead of the tank steel. If it’s not doing its job, your tank could start to rust prematurely leading to a failure.
If You Suspect There’s Something Wrong . . .
If you suspect there’s something wrong with your water heater- whether it’s making strange noises, not providing enough hot water or just doesn’t seem to be working right – please give us a call! We’re here to help and can advise you on the best course of action.
Gary’s Quality Plumbing provides quality plumbing services in Plano, Murphy, Richardson, Frisco, and the North Dallas Metroplex. Give us a call today at 972-424-6479!
