Protecting Your Water Heater Investment

Nobody wants to deal with a cold shower in the morning. There are some simple water heater maintenance steps that you can take to keep your water heater healthy, and your expert Brooklyn plumbers at Petri Plumbing & Heating are always here to back you up. 

How to Maintain Your Water Heater

Your water heater should last about 10 years or longer if it is regularly maintained. Here are some ways to help keep your water heater healthy so you can put off water heater replacement for as long as possible:

• Test the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve that’s on the top of the tank. To test it, place a bucket on the floor underneath the pipe connected to the valve, then flip the valve open to make sure that water comes out. If water does not flow through the valve or if the valve is always dripping, call us. The T&P relief valve is an important safety device and it must work properly. Never cap off the pipe coming from the valve.
• Drain and flush lime scale sediments from the bottom of the tank once a year. There’s a hose drain valve near the bottom of the tank. Connect a short length of hose to the valve and drain it into a bucket or into a floor drain. Drain about two or three gallons or until the water coming out is clear.
• Check for rust on the water heater tank. Give us a call if there’s water on the floor underneath your water heater — there may be a leak.

Electric tank water heaters have two heating elements, one near the top of the tank and one near the bottom. If you’re not getting any hot water, there’s probably an electrical-related problem. 

First, check the circuit breaker to see if there’s power to the water heater. Next, check the thermostat. There’s a service panel cover on the side of the tank that covers the thermostat. Remove the cover. The thermostat on an electric water heater rests against the side of the tank in order to measure the temperature of the tank. There’s an emergency cutoff on the thermostat that looks like a red button. If it’s popped out, give us a call.

If you’re getting inadequate hot water, one of the heating elements may be burned out and will have to be replaced. We can do that for you.

Go Tankless

 A lot of people in Brooklyn have opted for tankless water heaters lately. They’re a good choice if you have a large family or otherwise require continuous hot water. Tankless water heaters also last a long time if they’re properly maintained. Scale buildup is the enemy of tankless heaters. We can install a prefilter for your tankless heater. The unit also needs to be descaled once a year. It’s a simple operation that’s done by pumping white vinegar through the heater for about an hour. Call us for this necessary service.

If you’re having any issues with your hot water heater, reach out to the experts at Petri Plumbing & Heating for water heater service in Brooklyn. We handle repair, installation and everything in between!