Did you know that you should be performing maintenance on your water heater? I honestly didn’t know that until a few weeks ago, when my water heater broke down and I had to contact a local plumber to fix it.
During the conversation, he asked me what the issue was, and I explained that I have no hot water in my home.
He then proceeded to ask about the last time I checked my hot water heater, and I told him never. He asked if I have ever performed any maintenance on the heater, to which I answered no. I honestly didn’t know that hot water heaters needed maintenance. It’s one of the equipment in my home that I have always left alone, and I have never had an issue with one until now. Well, the plumber was kind enough to explain to me what kind of maintenance the water heater needs, which includes flushing the water heater at least once per year. This prevents any sediments from building up inside the heater. In addition, he recommended that I check the anode rod as well as the temperature release valve yearly. To be honest, I didn’t know what these were, so I had him teach me how to do it. Lastly, the plumber recommended that I keep the temperature on the heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which it was already set on. Anyway, after the plumber fixed the water heater and gave me maintenance tips, I promised him that I would get my water heater serviced at least once per year. After all, getting the unit serviced will certainly extend the life of the water heater.