Your home’s water heater plays an essential role in your daily life, providing you with the hot water you need for bathing, cleaning, and other important tasks. Here at East Atlantic Plumbing LLC, we’re passionate about helping homeowners take proper care of their water heaters, so they can prevent costly repairs and unexpected issues, such as cold water and low water pressure. Below, you’ll find key maintenance tasks to schedule throughout the lifespan of your water heater, from initial installation to replacement, to get the most out of your investment.
- Installation – Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose from a tankless or tank water heater. A tankless water heater must be professionally installed and tends to be more expensive at first, but it’s more energy efficient and tends to last longer than a tank heater.
- General Inspection – Homeowners should do a basic inspection of their water heater every 2 months or so to check for leaks and other potential problems.
- Annual Service – To keep your water heater in great condition, you should schedule a yearly maintenance service with a professional. During this routine appointment, they’ll flush the tank to get rid of buildup, check the anode rod, check or replace the pressure relief valve, and inspect the unit for any abnormalities.
- Repairs – No matter how well you take care of your water heater, issues can still arise. If you notice odd noises from your unit, low water pressure, inefficient water heating, or other unusual symptoms, it’s best to call in a pro to take care of any necessary repairs.
- Replacement – With regular maintenance, most water heaters can last up to 10 years. We recommend planning for a replacement once your water heater is about 7 years old, so you can be prepared before something goes wrong. If your water heater is older than a decade, we recommend talking to our team about replacing it in the very near future.