Caring For Water Heaters

Water heaters are a necessity in our daily life. Especially in the year's coldest months. It's easy for us to take for granted caring for our water heaters at home in the passing of time. Because water heater maintenance isn't that troublesome either. But your water heater will have longer life if given the proper care. It's important to know some maintenance measures to save (you and) your water heater from repair or replacement.

Basic Water Heater Care

• Flush the water heater with water every month to keep it clean.
• Scrub off sediments collected at the bottom of the water heater. Do this once a year using a brush and garden hose. If you have hard water in your area and sediments tend to build up faster, frequent cleaning should be done.
• Check the anode rod from time to time. Corrosion of the anode rod causes orange color water falling from your water heater. Anode rod needs to be replaced when it rusts.
• If bad odor comes out from your water heater, using a bleaching solution is required. You can add bleach, fill the tank with water and let it stay for some time. Bacteria can cause bad odor in your water heater. Using bleach will get rid of bacteria. This can be followed by routine flushing.
• Check your water heater for leaks. Leaks can cause considerable amount of damage if no prompt care is taken. A professional plumber is needed to identify the source of the leak and to fix it at the earliest. Check Mammoth Plumbing Google+

When to call for maintenance service

• If the water coming out of your heater has bad odor, strange color or sediments. If this happens then it means that it's time for your water heater to be cleaned.
• Presence of orange colored water beneath the rod. The Anode rod is one of the most important parts of a heater. If you see orange color water beneath the rod, it is a clear signal that it needs to be replaced.
• Decrease in the efficiency of heater is also a sign that it is time for maintenance check. Your water heater can cause your energy bills to soar, if not maintained properly.
• Leaks. You need a professional plumber to find out where the leak is coming from and fix it the soonest.

Money Saving Plumbing Tips: It is best not to wait for your water heater to give out rust colored water or fall to floor because of rusting before you call the plumber. Proper water heater maintenance helps you save money in a number of ways. It increases the heater's lifespan, avoids the necessity to buy a new one and ensures efficient use of energy.
For more tips about water heaters and plumbing see http://www.mammothplumbing.com/