Los Angeles residents, what’s your water heater really worth? It’s essential to your daily life, and without hot showers and clean dishes, your home would become uncomfortable pretty fast. But it’s hard to know if it’s operating at maximum efficiency. Water heater leaks may be hard to detect, especially since they stay hidden most of the time. As a result, you could be paying more for your water bill than you should.
Luckily, there are a few easy ways to tell if you’re getting the most out of it. You may have to pay a little bit for the oversight, but the peace of mind – and lower monthly water bill – will be worth it.
Temperature regulation
Temperature is obviously key to a successful water heater. You want your water to stay hot enough for your household demand. On a typical morning, you and your family may all be getting ready for work and school, and all need to take showers. Your heater will need to stay hot to meet the demand – but you don’t want it to be too hot.
Many models allow you to set limits on the temperature, which you should do. Anything above 120 degrees Fahrenheit is too high. It will consume excessive amounts of energy, which will in turn drive up your energy bill.
Annual maintenance
Culver City homeowners know that, as with any major appliance, you should have a water heater serviced regularly to ensure its performance. Most manufacturers recommend that a trained technician take a look at your model once a year. For the best plumber Culver City has to offer, call Torrance Plumbing and Heating.
Whether you live near Sony or along the hip stretch of Washington Blvd, our team of experts can clean your tank, as well as ensure the pipes and wires around it aren’t corroded. We can also test the tank’s safety valve, which prevents it from excessive pressure. Temperature-wise, this will keep it under 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
Flush
The most common form of maintenance is a flush. If you’re especially handy, you may try it yourself. Otherwise, leave it to the plumber who’s performing your annual maintenance. Either way, a flush is the best way to reduce the amount of natural sediment that collects in the tank over time. If left untreated, buildup can diminish efficiency and even clog the lines. You can easily flush while you’re also testing the pressure-relief valve. Just make sure you turn off the electricity to the heater.
Anode rod
Even if water heaters are treated regularly, they can still begin to fail with age. However, you can significantly slow the aging process (something Los Angeles excels at) by installing an anode rod. Made from aluminum and steel wire, rods can help your tank from excessive rusting.
Just make sure you keep an eye on them. As time goes by, the outer coating will wear off, exposing the steel wire. This is when it’s time for a replacement. You may need to switch it out once a year, but the cost pales in comparison to that of a new water heater.