![\"technician-inspecting-water-heater\"](\"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Heating_water_heater_Boiler_Repairing_Mechanic_Broken_Repairman_800x533-300x200.jpg\")
Most homes are equipped with tank water heaters. That’s no surprise, since they\u2019re cheap and reliable, capable of lasting well over a decade. They\u2019re also incredibly low-maintenance through most of their life. However, this low-maintenance might get some homeowners in trouble\u2014there are several components of a tank water heater that do\u00a0need to be looked at if they want their heaters to last past 15 years of age.<\/span><\/p>\nJust before fall is the perfect time to check in on your water heater. We\u2019ll go over a few things to look out for.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n All water contains some level of minerals (unless it has been treated through a reverse osmosis water filter), and those minerals tend to separate in the heated chamber of a water heater. This results in a gradual buildup of sediment found sunken at the bottom of the tank. This sediment is harmless to you water heater and to your drinking water, but it will become a problem if it\u2019s allowed to keep building.<\/span><\/p>\n Sediments will form a layer of insulation between the water and the burners, making it more difficult for the water to heat up. This means your water heater will stay on longer, and thus reduce its efficiency. However, that\u2019s not the worst of it. Too much heat trapped beneath the sediment will create hotspots that can eventually burn through the tank itself. <\/span><\/p>\n Sediment buildup is easily removed from the system with an annual flush\u2014the hard part is remembering to do it or to schedule a Livingston, NJ plumber<\/a> to do it for you.<\/span><\/p>\n When water is heated, it expands. If it expands too much, it\u2019s possible that your water heater can burst. At the wrong place and wrong time, a burst water heater can cause bodily harm to an individual.<\/span><\/p>\n Luckily, temperature and pressure relief valves are there to prevent that from happening. When either the temperature or the pressure in the tank becomes too much, the respective valve will open and release water to help return the tank to a normal level. These valves operate automatically and typically require little attention.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s crucial that these valves are tested at least once a year. If you haven\u2019t had them tested recently, then right before\u00a0fall is the perfect time.<\/span><\/p>\n The tank of a water heater is a magnet for corrosive elements in the water. It wouldn\u2019t take very long for corrosion to burn a hole through the tank, calling for a complete replacement. To combat this, an anode rod is used to attract those corrosive elements away from the tank. The purpose of the rod is purely to be attacked by this corrosion so that the tank can operate without problem.<\/span><\/p>\n Neglecting to change the anode rod can drastically decrease the lifespan of your water heater. It\u2019s important to have it changed once every five years and to replace it when necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n Just before fall is the perfect time to check in on your water heater. We\u2019ll go over a few things to look out for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[86],"tags":[89,186,185],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":797,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions\/797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.margoplumbing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Sediment Buildup<\/span><\/h2>\n
Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves<\/span><\/h2>\n
Anode Rod<\/span><\/h2>\n
Is your water heater ready for the fall? We can help you find out. Contact MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. today for an inspection<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"