Sunday, 28 July 2013

Water Heater Maintenance: Sediment Buildup

By Brian Winters


Extend the life of your water heater by performing regular water heater maintenance. This is important since water heaters nowadays don't come cheap. It's normal to feel irritated once the unit stops generating hot water, especially since it's bringing too much of an inconvenience in your household. Keep your unit in its tip-top condition through regular water heater maintenance. Ask help from a specialist if you're not comfortable in working with your heater on your own.

Turn off the heating source of the unit before carrying out repairs. This is important to prevent accidents from happening during the process. It is definitely risky to check the heater while the power is on. Do not let water enter the tank by shutting down the cold water valve. These steps are important since safety should always be your priority.

In this article, we are going to talk about one of the most vicious enemies of a water heater-sediments. These sediments or hard water minerals can sit at the bottom of the tank for a long time, arranged in a honeycomb fashion. Excessive sediments can cause the tank to operate inefficiently, eventually limiting the volume of water that can be stored inside. If these sediments are not flushed out on time, expect holes to appear right at the base of your unit. At this point, you have no choice but to replace the water heater.

Fortunately, sediments can be under control if you use softened water. This may reduce the hard water minerals accumulating at the bottom of your tank, but the anode rod's life expectancy will be reduced 50% to 60%. You have to consider this fact since an anode rod attracts all charged water molecules inside the tank, protecting your tank from completely rusting.

It helps adjusting the temperature to minimize the hard water minerals from accumulating. A temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit can cause the sediments to grow rapidly while a lower temperature of 115 degrees or less can result to Legionnaire's disease, in which a person can acquire through frequent inhaling of germ-filled water. Hospitals set their water temperature at about 170 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria inside.

You can adjust the thermostat settings if you think the temperature is too high. After adjusting, wait for an hour before testing the water. Use a meat thermometer and fill a cup with water to check if the water is hot enough. You can turn the dial to adjust the thermostat setting if you have a gas water heater. Change the flame size by turning the center of the control knob that looks like a screw.

Install a low-watt density element if you have an electric water heater. This element has a double surface area and can heat water like that of a high-watt density element. Doing this prevents sediments from building up excessively. If the water pressure is over 50 psi, ask a specialist to lower it down to protect your tank from overheating or blowing up.

If the problem persists, you can always call a specialist to help resolve the issue. Attempting to fix it on your own can only worsen the situation, resulting to costly water heater repairs. Do not let this happen by letting a professional deal with your unit properly.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment