A household’s water heater is integral to modern quality of life. It’s also a significant investment. You must maximize appliance lifespan while maintaining energy efficiency to get the most out of that investment. Let’s explore a series of tips from plumbers on achieving both goals.
Adjust Your Water Heater’s Thermostat
Higher thermostat settings result in a water heater that runs more often and experiences additional wear and tear. Your goal should be to set it only as high as you need. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends 120 degrees Fahrenheit for the average household. It’s a sweet spot between energy efficiency, operating costs, and comfort. The lower temperature will also avoid the risk of scalding.
Despite the DOE recommendation, many manufacturers set their water heaters to 140 degrees, and installers often leave the default setting due to the risk of Legionella. That said, the ideal range for Legionella is between 95 and 115 degrees. It’s generally not a concern at 120 degrees if you use a water heater regularly. There are also water heaters with a feature that temporarily increases temperature each day to kill any bacteria.
Benefit From Vacation Mode
You can reduce water temperature even more whenever you’re away from home for 48 hours or more. Many modern water heaters have a vacation mode. When you activate it, the system will drop to its lowest temperature. When you deactivate it, it will increase the setting to 140 degrees for health purposes and then gradually lower it to your setting.
What if you don’t have vacation mode? You can turn the thermostat to the lowest setting yourself. When you return home, increase the temperature to the max setting. Once it reaches that setting, adjust it to the recommended 120 degrees.
Schedule Annual Maintenance
A common mistake homeowners make is not scheduling professional service for their water heaters until there’s a problem. This can be the difference between a tank water heater lasting only 8-10 years rather than 15 years and a tankless water heater lasting only 15 years rather than 20-25 years.
During water heater maintenance, your plumber will perform a multi-point inspection and clean the unit. This is particularly important for components like thermostats, heating elements, burners, etc. Maintenance often includes flushing the tank and checking the anode rod if you have a tank system. If you have a tankless system, it will usually require descaling.
Flush Your Tank Annually
There are minerals and sediment in your water supply. Those substances can build up in the system over time. They accumulate on the tank walls and eventually undermine the lining. This is a common reason tanks leak over time. They also build up on components, such as thermostats, heating elements, and heat exchangers. That buildup is problematic in two ways. It leads to component deterioration and, eventually, premature failure. It also interferes with heat exchange, which decreases efficiency and increases operating costs and wear and tear.
Replace the Sacrificial Anode Rod
Storage-based water heaters have a sacrificial anode rod. The industry uses the term sacrificial because the manufacturer intends the part to fail. An anode rod is a metal rod that attracts minerals and sediment in your water through electrolysis. This targeted attraction significantly reduces the rate at which those substances build up on the tank walls and components. Depending on your water quality, anode rods will generally last between three to five years. As the rod nears its end of life, it’s essential to have your plumber replace it. If you don’t replace it, the buildup will occur elsewhere and shorten system life.
Tankless Water Heaters Need Descaling Instead
Tankless water heaters don’t have an anode rod or a tank. That doesn’t mean sediment and limescale buildup isn’t a concern. It’s an even bigger problem. Those substances can more easily clog valves, tubes, and pipes and accumulate on and damage components. The solution to avoid this damage is descaling the system. Descaling involves running a vinegar-water mixture or a chemical cleaning solution through the system using a recirculating pump.
How often you should descale a tankless water heater depends on water hardness. Hardness refers to the calcium and magnesium content in the water. If you have soft water, you may only have to descale every 3-5 years. If you have moderately hard or harder water, you may need to descale it annually or twice yearly.
Consider an Anti-Scale Device
If you have hard water, consider an anti-scale device. These devices change the minerals’ chemical structure so they can’t accumulate, but they don’t remove the minerals from the water. An alternative is a whole-house water softener. It will remove the minerals and provide softer water throughout your home.
Add an Expansion Valve
Pressure builds up in a tank water heater and can affect the plumbing pipes connected to it. Closed systems have a check valve that restricts backflow into the water main. Federal regulations now require closed water heater systems to have an expansion tank. If you have an older system, it may not have that tank. An expansion tank is a worthwhile addition if the water heater is still relatively young and in good condition.
Keep Your Water Heater Insulated
Heat loss is another area where there’s unnecessary wear and tear on a water heater. Insulation is most important on any exposed plumbing pipes and tubes connected to the water heater. Monitor the insulation and replace it once you notice it’s worn.
Do water heaters need additional insulation? Fuel-burning systems don’t as they lose heat through the venting process. If you have an electric water heater, it may. Discuss adding a water heater jacket and insulated base with your plumber.
Perform a Routine Inspection Each Month
It’s a good idea to check your water heater at least once a month. Monitor for any signs of leakage or corrosion. Check all the valves and connections. This is particularly important for tank systems’ temperature and pressure relief (T&P) valves. Raise and lower it three times. Water should flow out and drain away quickly. You should also keep the water heater area clutter-free, including dust, cobwebs, newspapers, fabrics, and solvents. It’s also important with electric water heaters but particularly systems that burn fuel.
Do You Need Water Heater Maintenance in the Treasure Valley?
Perfect, Plumbing Heating & Air is an award-winning HVAC, electrical, and plumbing contractor that serves homeowners in Boise, ID, and throughout the Treasure Valley. Our HVAC technicians, electricians, and plumbers are available for inspections, maintenance, repairs, and installations. You can count on our plumbers for camera inspections, drain cleaning, and trenchless and standard sewer line repair. We pipe and repipe water, sewer, and gas lines.
Our plumbers specialize in kitchen and bathroom fixtures, water heaters, sump pumps, and water filtration and softening systems. Our HVAC teams clean ducts. We’re experts with ducted and ductless heating and cooling systems, whole-home air purification, whole-house humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. Our electricians specialize in electrical panels and many other electrical components. Contact us today to learn more about any of these services.
