1. Routine Maintenance is Key
Routine water heater maintenance is always recommended to help avoid a broken unit. Scheduling maintenance with our professional plumbers can keep your water heater working properly for the next decade. It can also help you save money on costly repairs or water heater replacement in the future.
2. Check the Age of Your Hot Water Heater
While we also recommend hiring a specialist to take a look at your water heater if it’s malfunctioning, knowing your unit’s age is essential. If you suspect your water heater is over ten years old, you may notice it’s not working as adequately as it did previously. To tell when your unit was manufactured, look at the serial number. The serial number will have a date code similar to “H082184537,” where the letter represents the month, and the following two digits represent the year. In this case, H is the eighth letter in the alphabet, indicating August (the eighth month of the year); and 08 stands for 2008. So, this unit was manufactured in August 2008.
3. Check Around the Unit & Look at Gauges
It’s never a good idea to perform any maintenance if you’re untrained to do so; however, visual cues can help you detect if your water heater is about to malfunction. Check the temperature gauge to ensure it’s not above 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, look at the exhaust stack and make sure all the connections are secure and there are no leaks.
4. Flush the Water Heater
At least every six months, a professional Santa Monica plumber should flush your water heater to make sure it’s cleaned out, which can extend its operating life. A flush should also be done in tandem with draining your water heater to help it run more efficiently and avoid repairs.