Peace of Mind Annual Water Heater Maintenance
Many water heaters fail due to neglect; however every water heater looses efficiency each year of its life. All Water Heater manufacturers’ recommend water heaters are serviced by your plumbing professional annually. Properly maintaining your water heater can provide years of dependable trouble free service. Improve the lifetime and efficiency of your water heater with our annual water heater maintenance.
$119.00 Annual Water Heater Maintenance *Price valid through December 31, 2011 |
- Inspect burner assembly - Over time, dust and debris build up inside your gas water heater's burner assembly. This can interfere with the normal operation of your water heater. Some common problems include taking too long to heat the water, water not hot enough and the water heater doesn't come on when the burner fails to light. Cleaning a gas water heater prolongs its service life, makes your water heater more energy efficient and use less gas. (Clean Burner Assembly on open combustion units only)
- Inspect and Clean internal flue & gas venting system - Properly sized vents are vital for the safe and efficient operation of all natural gas water heaters installed in a confined space. Improperly vented water heaters can cause damage to your property or yourself by causing a fire or even carbon monoxide poisoning with incorrect venting.
- Inspect gas control valve – Gas valves are installed to control the amount of gas servicing the water heater and to act as a safety device to shut off the gas automatically in case of flame failure. Although relatively rare, gas valves can fail causing a fire or explosion. Gas valves can fail from a variety of causes including contamination, product deficiency and misuse. We will test for gas leaks and proper operation.
- Test thermostat and elements for electric units – Dual Element water heaters can sometimes only operate at 50% capacity. The only way to determine the thermostat and elements are working properly is by electronically testing equipment to ensure your electric water heater is operating at 100% capacity.
- Inspect combustion air supply – Sufficient air flow is crucial to the proper operation of your water heater. Without enough air, your house can quickly become polluted with unhealthy gases, including carbon monoxide CO). Fuel-fired water heaters should not obtain combustion air from sleeping rooms, bathrooms, or toilet rooms.
- Inspect tank age – The average life expectancy of a water heater is approximately 8-10 years without proper annual maintenance. However, there is no tried and true way to know precisely when a water heater needs replacement.
- Test pressure valve - Combination temperature and pressure relief (T & P Relief or TPR) valves do two things: 1) they open and release water out of the tank if the temperature exceeds 210°F (just below the boiling point), and 2) they will open if the pressure in the tank exceeds 150 psi (the maximum normal operating pressure for a water heater.)If it won't let water through, won't stop running, or won't stop dripping within a few minutes, it should be replaced. Water heaters without this protection can produce explosions and have been responsible for many deaths.
- Test Emergency shutoff valve for water and gas and electricity - The valve for both water and fuel should be working so that if the heater is taken out of service, the other portions of the water or gas distribution systems are not disrupted. A water and fuel shutoff valve should be a full-port valve. Full-port valves are shutoff valves that in the full-open position have a straight-through flow passageway. An electric disconnect should be installed for all electric water heaters.
- Remove excess sediment from tank & inspect drain valve – A water heater’s tank can act as a settling basin for solids suspended in the water. It is therefore not uncommon for hard water deposits to accumulate in the bottom of the tank. High on the list is forming a layer of insulation between the gas burner and the water. The sediment slows heat transfer and overheats the tank bottom. Overheating weakens the steel and damages the glass lining, hastening the day when the tank will fail altogether. In the case of electric water heaters, it can bury the lower element, causing it to burn out.
- Inspect sacrificial anode rod(s) - The single most important factor in whether a water heater lives or dies is the condition of its sacrificial anode. Most builder grade water heaters only provide an anode rod that will last as long as the warranty period. For more than 60 years, it has been used as a key part of the rust protection of a tank. The anode rod should be removed from the water heater’s tank every other year for inspection and replaced when more than 6” of core wire is exposed at either end of the rod for continued protection. A sacrificial anode's life depends on the quality of water, the amount of use the tank gets, the water temperature, and the quality of the tank.
- Test Expansion tank (if applicable) - A pressurized expansion tank is a sealed cylinder divided by a flexible diaphragm. An expansion tank provides space for the water to expand as it is heated and assists in keeping the water pressure in the normal pressure range while the water heater is operating.
- Inspect Safety devices and test if applicable (Flood Stop, Recirculation pump, etc)
- Provide inspection report
If you are looking for a water heater replacement or repair in the Dallas metro area, please call us today at or complete our online request form
