There are countless reasons why you should be able to adjust your water heater. The thing is that many homeowners don’t have an idea how much they actually rely on their water heater, as the water heater does so much more than providing hot showers.
Here are some effective maintenance tips for your water heater.
Inspect the Water Heater
Ideally, you should examine your water heater throughout the year. This way, you can opt for residential water heating repair from the very moment you detect an issue in the water heater. A timely inspection can help you address potential issues at their early stages, which will also help with avoiding costly repairs in the long run.
With regular inspection, you can ensure that your water heater keeps functioning efficiently and appropriately all year.
Know How to Adjust the Dial
One hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit is the recommended default for most homes – you can, however, turn up that temperature as high as 160 degrees on most water heaters. But – keep in mind that the likelihood of getting scalded or burned increases as you turn up the dial.
You can do a quick online search for that water heater model to verify. If you have an older water heater, you might not have a dial like most recent water heater models. Also, if you use an electric water heater, there might be two dials on the water heater.
Adjusting an Electric Water Heater
If you have an electric water heater, the recommended settings include adjusting the top dial to be slightly hotter than the bottom dial. Understanding how the water heater dial works is incredibly important because if you don’t have small children at home, you may want to have a hotter shower or hotter water from the tap in the kitchen.
But if you have kids at home, it is recommended to keep the temperature below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have one of the tankless water heaters, you will find the thermostat on the front of the heating unit, where you can adjust the degree and control the temperature.
Drain the Water Heater Every Year
It is crucial to drain the water heater each year. By doing so, you can clean the interior of the water heater and remove the sediment that has been accumulating the entire year. Although the accumulation of sediment will not actually damage the water heart, it can impact the overall efficiency of the heating unit.
On that note, you should drain your water heater once a year. For this purpose, shut off the water valve and the power of the water heater. Afterward, drain the remaining water out of the tank. However, make sure the water has cooled down before you do the needful.
After draining the water, clean the tank and remove the sediment buildup. Once you have done that, fill the water heater with water and turn it back on. Make sure to drain and clean the water heater every year – ideally during the summer – before the winter kicks in and you need your water heater more than ever before.
