Another 7 maintenance Tips for Water Heaters

 maintenance Tips for Water Heaters

Maintenance Tip #1 Preparing the water heater

Turn off the power if its an electric water heater. Turn off the water to the water heater by closing the valve on the cold water line. Its located on top of the water heater. The cold line is always to the right. Open a hot water tap inside the house. Air pressure will come out of the tap. Open the drain valve located at the bottom of the water heater. It looks like a hose bibb. Let a gallon or more out of the water heater. Do not allow anyone to use hot water for the time you are working on the water heater.

Maintenance Tip # 2 Removing sediment by dissolving it

You can dissolve sediment by using a descaler called Mag-Erad. It's made by A.O. Smith who also builds water heaters. Use the instructions that come with this descaler, but ignore the part about leaving the gas water heater on. Turn the flame off by setting it to PILOT. The heat without water in the water heater can cause damage to the gas systems. You can also use lye to dissolve sediment. Its very flammable and volatile. A plumber should use this chemical only.

Maintenance Tip #3 Controlling sediment

Sediment can be kept under control if you use softened water. Salt softened water only reduces sediment; it doesn't get rid of the problem and also causes another problem. Anode rods' life expectancy is reduced 50% to 65%. Sediment grows rapidly at 140 degrees. Legionnaires' Disease can grow at temperatures of 115 degrees or less. To keep both of these problems at bay, its best to set your water heater at 130 degrees. Legionnaires' Disease is actually caused by inhaling water vapor rather than drinking infected water. Still, in hospitals the plumbing should be regularly filled with 170 degree water to kill all remaining bacteria.
The only way to check what temperature the water actually is, is to fill a cup of hot water and put a meat thermometer in the cup. If you have a gas water heater, the dial on it can be adjusted until hot water that is 130 degrees is coming out of the tap. Be sure to give the water heater a chance to recover between adjustments on the dial. An hour should do. Some gas water heaters can adjust the size of the flame produced. Look at the center of the control knob and see if a small screw-like button is there. If so, this button can be used to adjust the flame size. If your having trouble getting enough hot water as it is, then leave this alone though. If you have a sediment problem in an electric water heater, have a low-watt density element installed. Don't be fooled by its name. It's not as hot as a high-watt density element, however the surface area of the low-watt is double and heats just as well. The reduced heat slows the production of sediment. If you have high water pressure over 50 psi, then have a plumber install a pressure reduced for your water heater. High pressure causes more sediment build-up.

Maintenance Tip #4 Check water heater plumbing fittings

Check any threaded connections on your water heater for possible leaks. Threaded connections are located on the top of the water heater for both the hot and cold lines running to and from the water heater. The T&P valve which is on to one side of the water heater, may become leaky. It has a plastic pipe connecting it and has a loose metal switch which can be lifted to stand on end. The drain valve can leak. It is at the bottom of the water heater and often looks like a hose bib. The thermostat controls for both gas water heaters and electric water heaters can leak. The gas control has the words ON/OFF/PILOT written on it. The electric control is behind one but usually two metal compartments on the front of the water heater.

Maintenance Tip #5 Steel connections

Rust can occur if steel touches copper or brass. The rust occurs on the steel only on not on the copper or brass. Copper and brass are noble to steel on the Periodic Table. To control this problem on a water heater use a steel nipple with a plastic lining. This allows the water heater, which is steel to touch the steel nipple with no problem. The steel nipple with plastic lining can also touch any copper plumbing because the plastic prevents them from touching. Dielectric unions can also touch steel nipples since their function is to prevent rusting or corrosion.

Maintenance Tip #6 Broken nipples

If the nipple breaks when you remove it with a pipe wrench, grab a flat-end screwdriver and a hammer. Hit the circle opening with the screwdriver and hammer and bend in the ring. Now use the screw driver to pry up the broken nipple. Use a hacksaw blade only to cut the opening slot to the threads if the screwdriver doesn't do the trick. Clean the threads with a pipe tap. Now wrap the new nipple with teflon tap on the threads and install it.

Maintenance Tip #7 Electric heating elements

To check the electric heating elements on an electric water heater, locate the two ports in the front of the water heater. Sometimes there's only one port, but nonetheless, you need to remove them. Here you can see the heating elements are screwed or bolted into the water heater and kept water-tight by a rubber gasket. Remove the element, but only if you've drained the water heater and turned the power off first. Replace the gasket if the rubber has turned hard. Wrap the element with teflon tape if it has threads. Put the tape on the threads and wrap it a couple of times. Hard scale can build-up directly on an electric element. This is rare but it can happen. Scale usually just sloughs off elements and falls to the bottom of the water heater. If enough scale (also known as sediment) falls to the bottom of the water heater, it could bury the lower element. There are two types of heating elements, the high-watt density element and the low-watt density element. The high-watt sloughs sediment off more easily but the total amount of sediment is greater due to the higher temperatures. A low-watt creates lower overall sediment because it is not as hot, but it still heats up the water just as well because it has double the surface area. It tends to get flakes of scale directly on itself more easily though. In most instances, the low-watt density element will cause fewer problems. Elements may be cleaned. Use a toothbrush and vinegar to gently clean the sediment off of them. If your anode rods have become heavily deteriorated, then this can affect your elements. Corrosive actions between the copper on the sheath of the element and the steel of the water heater's tank can sprout slow leaks and destroy the elements. If your elements are burning out frequently after replacement, the anode could be to blame.





By John Haynes
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/425419

Read More

Why Do Homeowners Love Tankless Water Heaters?

Tankless water heaters are part of the new wave of technology making an existing convenience even better. It was not very long ago that most properties did not have access to indoor plumbing. And, when the convenience of hot water became a regular feature in dwellings it did not take long for us to quickly get used to it.

The problem with traditional water heaters in the home, however, is that there has been only so much room to store heated water. Consequently, on those days when everyone is home and doing chores, the standard heater can quickly run out of water. One member of the family may be doing the dishes, while others are doing load after load of laundry. When you have completed your yard work, for example, you may easily find yourself without the hot water you have been looking forward to.

Many traditional heaters may take at least a half an hour to fill with hot water. Additionally, heat is lost while sitting inside a tank waiting to be used, which may prove a waste of energy. More of your neighbors are discovering the beauty of tankless heaters; they provide reliable hot water on demand and they do not run out. Do the dishes; do the laundry; enjoy a long hot bath or shower with the tankless system.

Water is filtered through a heated system and delivered to the area of your home that is needed. You do not have to worry about heat being lost in a tank because it is not stored. In this way you do not lose heat and therefore waste money via the tank method.

The new tankless way is also the more sustainable method of hot water. It is not only to suit the comfort and convenience of each family member when hot water is needed; it also conserves water. For some properties it may take a minute or longer for hot water to reach the shower. But the tankless way is more targeted and truly gets hot water to your tap when it is needed.

In today's world, water is proving more and more precious and experts predict it will become the new precious resource of the future. Heated water via the tankless method is helping to conserve this necessary ingredient for life. Check out why more of your neighbors are likely enjoying tankless water heaters over the standard ones.



By Leonard A Simmons 
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6514233

Read More

What Everyone Should Know About Water Heaters and Water Pressure

Household plumbing fixtures are made to operate with a maximum pressure of 80 psi, but the pressure coming from the municipal water supply is commonly 100 psi or more. This is why the pressure reducing valve (commonly called a PRV) is so important. The PRV works by using a pre-tensioned spring to apply pressure to a disk, and as the high pressure from your water supply flows through this valve the disk counters high pressure with the pressure from the spring. This only allows a certain amount of water into your home to control the pressure inside. When a PRV fails there is usually a noticeable difference in water pressure throughout the home. Another source of increased pressure inside your home comes from the heating of water inside of your water heater.


As water is heated it expands and because water can't be compressed that extra volume has to go somewhere or else it can cause big problems with your heater or elsewhere in the home. Over time, too much pressure can cause any number of problems. The common problems are: the pressure release valve on the side of the water heater may start slowly leaking water and the exhaust flue on a gas powered water heater may malfunction.

o As an example on how water expands when it is heated, when the water in a 40 gallon water heater is heated from 90 degrees to 140 degrees it expands by nearly one-half gallon.

In order to protect your water heater and the rest of the plumbing in your home it is important to install a thermal expansion tank that is connected close to your water heater.

o Thermal expansion tanks work by having a bladder inside of them that is pressurized with air. As water is heated and expands it pushes on this bladder causing it to compress and make room for the extra volume. This is likely the solution that you should look at if your water heater's pressure release valve is leaking.

If you notice higher than normal pressure at your faucets, outside faucets, tub, or shower you should have your water pressure checked to make sure that your PRV hasn't gone bad. It is much easier to check early and replace a PRV than to worry about having to replace parts in your toilets, tub and shower valves, and faucets due to damage from high water pressure.




By R Scott Roberts
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8559905

Read More