Tips to make your hot water tank last longer
Hot water tanks are among the most useful things in many homes, especially on colder days. Using cold water can be unbearable, and the water heaters ensure a consistent hot water supply for a long time.
However, these heaters can also develop some issues over time. Still, careful usage from your end can help prevent that, and here we will elaborate on everything you need to do to prevent issues with your hot water tank.
Top 10 tips to make your hot water tank last longer
Our top 10 tips for making your hot water tanks last longer are the following.
1. Make sure to flush your hot water tanks once a year
If you want to increase the life of your hot water tanks, you must flush them at least once a year. If you have a hard water supply at home, flushing your heater more frequently will be helpful. Some people confuse draining the water heater with flushing, while draining is only a part of the flushing process.
To flush the heater tank, drain it first and let the cold water run through it for at least 10 minutes with the drain valve open. It will ensure that any buildups are washed out.
2. Keep your heater covered to increase its efficiency
Insulating the water heater can bring benefits better than you would expect. When you insulate the water heater, heat loss to the atmosphere is prevented, which results in less performance requirement and better efficiency of up to 40%. It means that you need your heater to work 40% less, which will greatly increase its life.
3. Check elements for sediment buildups and rusting and clean when needed
It is a good practice to open the hot water tanks once a year and inspect the element. In most case’s element creates issues with the whole hot water tank as it is not working well. All you need to do is to get it out and inspect it for the following flaws:
- Bad wire connection
- Rust
- Sediment buildup
- Cracks
If the element is good enough, you may get it repaired. Otherwise, install a replacement element. It will maintain performance so the water tank will not get any other issues soon.
4. Do not let the heater run when you are away from your place
One of the biggest mistakes people make is leaving the heater running when they are away from home for days or weeks. While the water is not circulating out of the heater, the element keeps on heating that same water, resulting in decreased life.
So, whenever you go out for a few days, turn the heater off, drain water out of it, and cut the water supply to the heater. In this way, its life will be increased.
5. Make sure to treat hard water, as it is one of the worst enemies of your hot water tank.
If your water supply has higher mineral content, you need to get a water softener to treat water coming into your place. Hard water is one of the biggest culprits for making the hot water tanks last less. This little investment will decrease the chances of rusting and sediment buildup inside the heater. Thus, it will make your hot water tanks last longer.
6. Get your hot water tank professionally inspected.
Make a routine when you call professionals to inspect your hot water tank. Even when you are doing everything by yourself, there are chances that you are not doing everything correctly. So, a routine inspection from professionals once or twice a year will ensure that your hot water tank is in perfect working condition. If it ever needs any servicing, they recommend getting it before something bad happens.
7. If there are any unusual signs, then inspect the tank as soon as possible
Your water heater may show unusual signs, which you must not ignore. Instead, getting the issue traced down and resolved is what you need. Some unusual signs that your water heater may show you include:
- Cold water or water not hot enough
- Moisture around the heater
- Rusty water
- Rumbling sounds from the heater
These can signify an issue with the heater that, if replaced in the early stages, will prevent you from higher repair costs.
8. Do not use your tank after it has served for its age.
The water heater with tanks is made to serve for a specific time, usually 8-12 years. If you follow these tips, you will surely make your heater last for this period. However, in the best case, your heater will keep working even after its life span is complete. You do not want to keep using the heater in such a scenario. Instead, get it replaced with a newer one for the following benefits:
- Better performance
- Eco-friendliness
- Cheaper bills.
9. Try to strategically reduce your hot water usage as it helps in making the tank last longer
Reducing your hot water usage can help make the water heater tank last longer. Doing it strategically will not cause any difference in your lifestyle, but you will create a significant difference for the heater. Some strategies to decrease your hot water consumption include:
- Installing low-flow tap heads and showerheads
- Choose bath over showers or take shorter showers
- Use cold water for applications like laundry, gardening, and carwash.
This way, your heater will not need to heat the water repetitively, so its life will increase.
10. Try not to do things by yourself; instead, call a professional
The last thing you need to do is not push yourself to work with a repair job. Not only may it contain safety hazards, but you may also damage the heater or things nearby. So, instead of DIY solutions for complex jobs related to the hot water tank, I prefer calling professionals.
Conclusion
Every hot water tank has a specific service age that should work perfectly. However, some people start to find issues only after a few years. If you want to make your hot water tanks last longer, follow all the tops above and increase the service life of your heater.
Call us now to get professionals to deal with your hot water tank issues!
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