Water Heater Repair: Taking Care Of Your Water Heater | Myrtle Beach, SC

9/30/2020

Photo By Kuchina at Shutterstock

A busted water heater is a big problem if you need access to hot water, and most people need hot water every single day. If you notice something strange going on with your water heater, you should call a water heater repair company to take a look at it. However, there are some things you can do to prevent the water heater in your home from having problems in the first place. If you want to take the best care of your water heater and avoid frequent repair calls, here’s what you need to know.

Sediment

One of the biggest downfalls of most water heaters is a buildup of sediment. All water has some level of minerals and sediment in it, and that sediment tends to sink to the bottom of your water heater tank. Over time, enough sediment can build up that it can cause accelerated corrosion on the tank of your water heater, which is pretty much a guaranteed end to its life.

The best way to prevent sediment from causing major problems in your water heater is to have it flushed every once in a while. By having somebody drain all the water out of your water heater, clean it a bit and hook it back up, you reduce the risk of needing major water heater repairs.

So, how often should you have the sediment flushed from your water heater? The truth is, it depends on your water quality. However, you should have your water heater flushed at least once per year if you want it to last a long time. Excess sediment increases wear on all the different parts of your water heater, so leaving it is a guaranteed way to end up with a worn water heater.

Elements

Your water heater has to take on the tough job of heating a lot of water for your home day in and day out. In order to heat all the water in that tank, there are actually two different heating elements in every water heater. The lower heating element heats water and sends it upwards, where it’s kept warm by the upper heating element. When one of these elements break, you’ll end up with cold or lukewarm water.

If you have no hot water, you should call a water heater repair expert. Oftentimes, getting your hot water back on is as simple as installing a new heating element or two. However, you could have a more serious problem causing a lack of hot water in your Myrtle Beach, SC, home.

If you’ve had a water heater repair expert replace your elements and you still can’t get hot water, you’re probably dealing with another problem. You could have a problem with the breaker that controls your water heater, a water supply line or something else. No matter why your home has no hot water, you need to get it fixed as soon as possible.

Anode Rod

Every water heater is equipped with a sacrificial anode that’s designed to take the brunt of the corrosion that would otherwise affect your tank. This anode rod is made from a metal that rusts more quickly than your tank, which allows your tank to stay clean and solid for as long as possible. Over time, however, the anode rod will start to rust too much and will eventually lose its ability to prevent your tank from rusting.

If you want to keep your water heater in the best shape, you can change your anode rod every once in a while to keep the tank from rusting. Since the elements and anode are fairly easy for a water heater repair expert to replace, your water heater will last quite a while if you take good care of the tank.

For those who plan on replacing their anode rod occasionally, you should have a water heater repair expert take a look at yours about once every 6 years. Most anode rods have to be replaced after about 6 years, so it’s important to make sure you’ve got somebody looking at yours regularly to ensure it’s in good shape.

When to Replace

As hard as it can be to admit, there comes a time when the best thing you can do is simply invest in a new water heater. While a water heater repair expert can do a lot of maintenance and repairs to extend the life of your water heater, there’s no way to make them last forever.

According to most experts, you should replace your water heater about once every 10 or 12 years. Even if you replace your anode rod and heating elements a few times during the life of your water heater, the tank is still going to corrode. Eventually, you’ll have tank damage you can’t fix.

The good news about water heaters is that you can get a new one that’s fairly affordable, plus there are tons of great upgrades you can make. If you want a more efficient model, a water heater repair expert can help you find one. You can also find water heaters with a larger tank that are perfect for larger families. And if you really want to upgrade your water heater to something more efficient and convenient, you can always opt for a tankless system.

Make Maintenance Easy

You rely on your water heater for a lot of different things from day to day. If you want to make sure you’ve got access to hot water every morning when you wake up, you need to take good care of your water heater.

For homeowners in the Myrtle Beach, SC, area, there’s no better place to go for water heater repairs and maintenance than Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Myrtle Beach. If you’re having trouble with a water heater in your home, give us a call at (843) 213-6611 today.