Why Homeowners Should Schedule Water Heater Flushing Regularly
Posted on: 23 May 2019
Do you know water heaters need to be flushed once each month to eliminate sediment, silt and mineral scale buildup? Although water heater manufacturers recommend this, very few property owners flush their water heaters this often. To make matters worse, some don't even get hot water service for maintenance purposes.
Flushing the water heater is vital to the system's longevity and performance. Failing to tend to the heater for years can be harmful and catastrophic, meaning you will be forced to purchase another water heater. Since replacing the water heating system isn't cheap, maintenance and flushing the heater as recommend is better and less costly. Here are the benefits you'll enjoy when you choose to flush your water heater often.
Enhanced heating speed
The more you allow foreign materials to settle at the bottom of your heater tank, or buildup on the heaters electrodes, the harder the unit will work to complete the heat transfer process. Simply put, it will take longer for water to be heated to the desired temperature. Before you know it, your house will run out of hot water. Luckily, your heater can perform effectively again once you flush the hot water system.
Increased system life
Water heater failure can occur early if you allow the scale to build up in the tank. If you own an electric water heater, scale makes the system's electrodes fail prematurely, so you'll lack hot water. For those who have gas heaters, scale buildup will turn into an insulating layer between the water and source of heat. Therefore, the metal found at the bottom part of your heater will become too hot, eventually leading to leakage or total unit failure. Compared to buying another heater, it's better to flush the tank regularly since you will easily extend the unit's lifespan.
Minimised operational expenses
If it's difficult for the system's heating element to heat the water, more energy will be used to keep the water heater running. This translates to increased utility bills; the more the sediments buildup over the months, the more you'll pay. Before you know it, you'll start spending more on repairs since components that are destroyed by the clogging sediments or corrosive scale deposits need replacement. To avoid increasing utility bills and maintenance costs, flush the water heater.
Remember that the rate of scale buildup in the water heating system will vary depending on the amount of water the system heats, water mineral content, and how hot the heater is. Your hot water service experts can show you how to monitor sediment buildup so you can flush the unit as needed.
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