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With routine maintenance, your water heaters can provide years of reliable service. Making sure these tasks get done once a year can add years to the life of a water heater and keep utility bills in check. The anode rod that hangs inside water tanks should be checked for signs of corrosion, and then the tank should be flushed to remove sediment. Checking the temperature-pressure-release valve is the next step, and the last task is replacing any loose or damaged insulation

Anode rods are made out of magnesium or aluminum, and they begin to rust very quickly. After just a few years, an anode rod can resemble a piece of rusty wire. When this is allowed to happen, water heater tanks can start to rust from the inside. Anode rods should be checked every year to prevent tank rust, which is the leading cause of water heater failure.

If you would like to add years to the life of your water heater and avoid unnecessary repair bills, contact us today to learn more about our water heater maintenance services. Our experienced plumbers will make sure that your water heater runs well, is properly insulated and is not wasting electricity.

Water heater tanks that have not been serviced regularly may need several rounds of draining and flushing to remove all of the accumulated sediment. Water heaters become less efficient as sediment builds up, which means the amount of electricity they use goes up. Sediment can also move from tanks to clog up water lines. Regular flushing eliminates these problems and can prevent costly repairs.

The temperature-pressure-release valve should be checked every time the tank is flushed. The TPR valve is a safety device that opens to release pressure in the water heater tank. When the valve fails to open, the resulting pressure buildup can cause water heaters to explode. Checking a TPR valve only takes a few seconds, and a defective valve can be replaced in a couple of minutes.

The last water heater maintenance task is replacing worn or damaged insulation. This often overlooked step is important because proper insulation reduces heat loss by as much as 45% and lowers water-heating costs by up to 9%.