Water Heater Repair: Maintenance Tips For Homeowners | Myrtle Beach, SC

Water Heater Repair: Maintenance Tips For Homeowners | Myrtle Beach, SC

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Water heaters play a significant role in providing comfort in our residential premises, including providing warm baths for our families and hot water for laundry and dishwashing activities. However, did you know that water heating accounts for about 18% of your utility bill?

There is a need for homeowners to hire professionals to conduct water heater repairs to supplement the different response programs in South Carolina to ease this burden.

In case you have a faulty or malfunctioning water heater, do not worry as there are a few maintenance tips you can use to save on bills, prolong the lifespan, and reduce the frequency of your water heater repair activities.

Be aware of the type of water heater

There are several types of water heaters available in the market such as hybrid heat pump, solar-powered, condensing, tankless, and conventional tank water heaters.

Most of them have provisions for using either natural gas or electricity as a power source. If you purchase a house in Myrtle Beach, SC, equipped with a water heater system, air conditioning unit, among other utilities, ensure to be privy to information regarding the age, capacity, and type of the water heater installed in your home. It’s easy for you to contact a repair provider when faced with an emergency.

Adjust the thermostat settings when leaving town

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you set your water heater at a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for energy-saving purposes and safety concerns.

However, you could be in a situation that necessitates you to stay away from home for a certain period, for instance, due to work conferences and workshops or holidays travel. In such a scenario, adjust your gas water heater to the vacation setting, which maintains the pilot light without necessarily heating the water.

This not only helps you to reduce your utility bills but also prolongs the life span of your thermostat and other components, hence minimizing the need for water heater repair.

Insulate older units

You can opt to insulate the hot and cold water pipes in your water heater unit with a fiberglass jacket based on its model. Insulating the hot water pipe reduces heat loss to the surroundings whereas, covering the pipe conveying cold water helps prevent condensation during summer.

This improves your water heater’s overall capability of reliable hot water supply to various user points on your premises.

You could also try sourcing information about your water heater from its operation manual. When in doubt, seek help from licensed repair technicians to carry out inspections, offer professional know-how, and avoid any unnecessary damage to your system.

Clear the area surrounding the appliance

Ensure that your water heater is maintained in an area with a two-foot clearance or as specified in the manufacturer’s manual. This makes it more accessible and convenient for water heater repair professionals to service your unit if it develops a malfunction. The clearance also significantly reduces the chances of household objects to cause collision-induced damage to your water heater.

Regular flushing of your water heater

Flushing your water heater is an effective method of reducing or getting rid of sediments that may accumulate in your water heater tank, inhibiting your water heater’s efficiency.

If you live in an area with hard water, you should flush your water heater at least semiannually to do away with an increased volume of calcium deposits that may build up in the storage tank.

Begin the flushing process by turning off your water heater, connect a garden hose to the water heater’s drainage spigot, and direct the flush water to an appropriate drain. Before opening the drainage spigot, ensure that you turn on the faucet on the water heater to vent the system, thus aiding in the flow of the water.

Also, leaving the water supply for a suitable period agitates the sediments in the tank for easy removal. Once you’re all set up, open the drainage spigot and begin flushing the tank.

Drain the tank while observing the water at the drain end of the garden hose for sediments. Once you’re content with the clarity of the drain water, you can terminate the flushing process by turning off the drainage valve and turning on your water heater.

The flushing time is mostly dependent on the level of sedimentation in your water heater unit. Alternatively, you could hire a dependable water heater repair company to flush your system and run diagnostic tests to ensure that it’s operating at optimum parameters. They may also remove other contaminants that could be present in your water heater system.

Inspect the pressure relief valve

A water heater unit in operation is bound to develop pressure build-ups, which could lead to an explosion if not regulated. The pressure relief valve, also known as a safety valve, serves to release the excess pressure in the water heater and ensure smooth operation.

The valve plays a vital role in ensuring the entire family’s safety. Thus you should perform regular inspections and look out for any signs of leakages or malfunction.

When faced with a faulty pressure relief valve, do not panic. Ensure that you engage professional repair technicians, who are conversant in replacing old pipes and installing new ones.

Schedule for maintenance sessions with licensed water heater repair professionals

Setting money aside for use in water heater maintenance and repair services can prove to be a challenge, but it’s prudent that you put into practice the old saying, prevention is better than cure. You could settle for an annual or semiannual plan dedicated to water heater repair services.

You benefit in numerous ways since you’ll gain insight on safety precautions, signs of a faulty water heater, information regarding the type of your water heater unit, optimal operation parameters, among others. You also increase your water heater’s lifespan and end up saving much more in the long run.

Finding a reliable water heater repair company 

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Myrtle Beach addresses the water heater repair and plumbing needs of homeowners in Myrtle Beach, SC, and surrounding areas.

Our licensed professionals are experienced in promptly providing water heater diagnostic tests, replacements, repairs, new installations, cleanups, and maintenance services. We are always one call away to help you sort out your water heater issues with a guarantee on your value for money experience.

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