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A New Way Of Thinking About Hot Water: Tankless Water Heater Repair | Myrtle Beach, SC
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You know about tankless hot water heaters and how they supply the hot water you need without having to keep 40 gallons or more constantly hot and ready to deliver. Beyond that, though, you may not be aware of tankless water heaters work, and what tankless water heater repair involves. There are also some ways that this type of water heating is different from getting water from a tank, and knowing what’s normal for this type of hot water heater can help you avoid tankless water heater repair calls when the answer is a simple change in the way you operate it.
For example, you have to be drawing enough hot water to “wake up” the heater and get it heating, so turning on a trickle from the tap won’t work. It also has a limit as to how many baths, showers, washing cycles and other hot water uses it can support at the same time. Let’s talk about this great way to get hot water for your family and when it is, or perhaps isn’t time to call for tankless water heater repair in Myrtle Beach, SC. Of course, if you ever have questions, we’re here to help with answers as well.
A Bit About Tankless Hot Water Heating
There’s not as much involved in tankless water heater repair as there is in a tank-based unit, because there’s no holding tank, no issues of pressure buildup and tank corrosion, and less likelihood of mess from a tank failure. There’s also no anode rod to check, little chance of bacteria growth because the water is flowing, and the heater is targeted at the water passing through. It’s also not running to keep 40 gallons or more at temperature, which saves energy and wear and tear on the heating unit. The unit does have a few critical components, including the heating unit of course, the flow sensor, and several other sensors and control components that together notice when you’re drawing hot water and fire up the heater while water is flowing. This changes how your hot water starts to arrive a bit, which can be confusing at first and perhaps make you think you need a tankless water heater repair.
A Few Characteristic Traits of Tankless Hot Water
You can get a brief pulse of hot water from a tankless unit that’s leftover from recent activity, followed by a small amount of cold water as the unit starts up again, and then plenty of hot water for as long as you need it. This can be a bit confusing, but it’s quite normal. If the unit hasn’t been operating recently, you’ll just get a small amount of cold water as hot water from the unit finds its way up your pipes, then long showers, washing, whatever you need. One other important note that can lead new users to call for tankless hot water repair is the way it senses when to heat the water. You need to have a fair amount of water flowing, such as a valve half open, for the unit to start the heater and provide hot water. One advantage of this characteristic is that you don’t have the traditional hot water leaks that old faucets can draw from tank-based systems.
Descaling Is Important for Proper Heater Operation
Minerals in your water, especially if you have untreated hard water, will eventually accumulate as mineral scale inside the unit. This should be removed by your plumber as part of tankless water heater maintenance. If the accumulation grows too much, it can interfere with heater operation and prevent the production of hot water. Descaling should be part of maintenance, along with filter cleaning or replacement, and any diagnostic checks to make sure the water heater is operating properly.
Cleaning the Vents Is Critical, But Many Units Will Warn If There’s Trouble
Another critical tankless hot water heater repair is cleaning the vents, which keeps air flowing through the unit and is necessary for proper operation and safety. Many units have sensors that trigger a status light or alarm when vent cleaning is overdue, helping to avoid more significant problems. In most cases, regular cleaning during maintenance visits should keep the vents clear, but it’s worth checking when you periodically wipe down the heater body, especially in dusty areas.
Tankless Water Heater Control Board and Sensor Issues
Tankless water heaters, like most modern appliances, have a control board and a collection of sensors that monitor and control the operation of the unit and sense any issues that require shutdown and repair. Along with the heating element, the control components should last a long time but occasionally may need repair or replacement. It’s important that your plumber be trained and experienced with tankless hot water in order to diagnose and repair these components effectively.
A Word About Tankless Water Heater Repair and Maintenance
Cleaning vents and descaling your tankless water heater are a couple of the important maintenance items for your system. There’s not much to do with these great hot water sources, but it’s important that they receive the right care to help them function efficiently and reliably. With regular maintenance visits from our tankless water heater repair team in Myrtle Beach, SC to clean it over the years, you can get a long life out of these units and some great energy savings as well. Plus, they don’t take up much of your living space.
Your Expert Resource for Tankless Water Heater Repair and Information in Myrtle Beach, SC
We’re Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Myrtle Beach your local plumber experienced with tankless water heater repair and maintenance, and ready to help with all your plumbing needs. We value your time and leave a clean workspace behind, which along with our excellent customer service are only part of why we get such great reviews. Give us a call and see for yourself, whether it’s for a scheduled repair and maintenance visit, or an emergency plumbing call.