You can easily extend the life of your hot water heater by performing a little maintenance occasionally. How often you should maintain your hot water tank will depend on the water quality in your home. Below are some common repairs that can be made that will save you money over a complete water heater replacement.
Maintenance Topics
- Replacing a water heater
- Removing sediment from the tank
- Testing and replacing an element
- Testing and replacing the thermostat
- Leaky pressure relief valve
- Replacing the dip tube
- Replacing the anode rod to prevent corrosion
Replace Or Repair?
If your hot water heater is not performing the way it use to, it might be time for some repairs to be made. Most of the time the causes of limited hot water are mechanically repairable at a much lower cost; and can be done without a plumber, using only a few simple tools.
Hot water tanks are designed to last approximately 10 years but of course some can last much longer. There comes a day however that a simple repair will not be possible for that old water heater and replacement will be the only option. Older water heater are often much less efficient; consuming more electricity, than a newer well insulated model.