I’m sure none of us will forget these crazy, COVID-19 quarantine times! Staying safe at home has certainly changed a lot of things for all of us. Many households have noticed an increase in the frequency and time spent on showers, baths, dishwashing, and clothes washing. All of these activities involve hot water and without it, your whole household would mutiny – yikes! We know the importance of water heater maintenance, especially at times like this. Without regular maintenance, your water heater can let you down when you need it most.
Did you know over time sediment begins to build up in the bottom of your water heater tank? This sediment comes from the minerals in the water that settles at the bottom. As to the volume of sediment increases in the tank, it reduces the space for heatable water, resulting in a less efficient system. In other words, with less space in the tank, your available hot water is used up more quickly, requiring your tank to refill and reheat more frequently in order to meet your needs, resulting in an increase in your energy usage. Increased energy usage means increased monthly utilities. Annual maintenance for your water heater involves flushing out this sediment and refilling the tank. It’s what we like to call a “reset” to your water heater and allows you to enjoy more available hot water with a side of lower utility bills.
Knocking and banging sounds coming from your water heater are more signs (not good ones!) that you need to drain and flush your water heater. The build-up of minerals can create leaks and even lead to the failure of your water heater. The sediment at the bottom of your gas water heater can create hot spots that cause damage to your tank. In an electric water heater, these mineralscan cause the lower heating element to fail. By having annual maintenance performed on your water heater a professional plumber will catch water leaks, corrosion, or any problems that are will cause your water heater to fail or prevent it from performing at its best.
Of course, most families don’t care about all of this technical stuff; they just want the reliability of hot water when they want or need it, without any unpleasant surprises. We get it! At the end of the day, having a reliable source of hot water makes life a whole lot easier in any household. Annual maintenance helps prevent future breakdowns, and it ensures that your system is in peak shape while extending the lifespan of your water heater.
At Michael’s Plumbing, our professional plumbers know how to inspect your water heater and will perform steps that help keep it running smoothly day in and day out, so you can avoid any unexpected issues down the road. We know these are challenging times for all families, and we’re OPEN and HERE TO HELP our Orlando-area neighbors in any way we can … even if that’s just to keep the hot water on so that your kids don’t complain about missing their long shower every day! Give us a call (407) 219-9772 or contact us online.