Your water heater works behind the scenes every day to provide hot water for showers, laundry, dishes, cleaning, and more. Because it’s such an essential part of your home, it’s easy to take it for granted, until something goes wrong.
Regular water heater service and maintenance can help keep your system running efficiently, extend its lifespan, and catch potential problems before they turn into unexpected repairs.
Here’s why giving your water heater some attention can make a big difference.
1. Extend the Life of Your Water Heater
Water heaters aren’t designed to last forever, but regular maintenance can help maximize their useful lifespan. Over time, sediment and mineral deposits can build up inside the tank. This buildup can make your water heater work harder and contribute to wear and tear. Routine professional servicing can help identify and address these issues before they cause more significant problems.
Taking care of your water heater today may help you get more years out of your investment.
2. Improve Energy Efficiency
A water heater has to work harder when it’s dealing with sediment buildup, worn components, or other issues. When your system isn’t operating efficiently, it may use more energy to heat the same amount of water. Regular maintenance helps keep the system operating as efficiently as possible, which can potentially reduce unnecessary energy use.
3. Help Prevent Unexpected Breakdowns
Few plumbing problems are more inconvenient than suddenly losing your hot water. Routine servicing allows a professional to inspect your water heater and identify signs of wear, corrosion, leaks, or other developing problems. Catching these warning signs early can give you the chance to address them before they result in a complete system failure.
Regular maintenance can’t guarantee that your water heater will never break down, but it can help reduce the risk of being caught off guard.
4. Maintain Consistent Hot Water
Have you noticed that your showers aren't staying hot as long as they used to? Or perhaps your water takes longer than usual to heat up? Changes in hot water performance can be a sign that your water heater needs attention. Sediment buildup, failing components, or other issues can affect how well your system heats and delivers hot water.
Regular servicing can help keep your water heater performing consistently, so you can count on the hot water your household needs.
4. Get Valuable Information When Buying or Selling a Home
A sewer line inspection can be especially useful during a home purchase. A home may look great on the surface, but the condition of the sewer line isn't always obvious during a standard home inspection. Since sewer line repairs can be costly, having the line professionally inspected can give potential homeowners a better understanding of what they’re buying.
For sellers, having an inspection completed can also provide documentation about the condition of the sewer line and potentially address concerns before listing the property.
Signs Your Water Heater May Need Service
In addition to routine maintenance, it's important to pay attention to changes in your water heater's performance.
Some signs that your water heater may need professional attention include:
- Water isn't getting as hot as it used to
- Hot water runs out quickly
- Water takes longer to heat
- You hear banging or rumbling noises
- You notice rusty or discolored water
- There is water around the base of the unit
- Your energy bills have increased unexpectedly
- You notice corrosion or rust
- Your water heater is approaching the end of its expected lifespan
If you notice any of these warning signs, don't wait for your water heater to stop working completely.
Don't Wait Until You Have No Hot Water
Your water heater is one of the hardest-working appliances in your home. Regular service can help maintain its performance, improve efficiency, identify potential problems, and potentially extend its lifespan.
Instead of waiting for an unexpected cold shower or a major leak, make water heater maintenance part of your home's plumbing care routine.
Need to have your water heater inspected or serviced? Action Plumbing is offering $100 off cleaning and descaling of Tankless Water Heaters, and $50 off Tanked Water Heater inspections, cleanings, and servicing for the month of November.
Call Action today.