When you have a hot water heater in your home or building, this isn’t just a set-it-and-forget-it appliance. Especially if it’s processing a lot of heat for you and is something you depend on, you’ll want to make sure that you’re giving it the attention it needs to stay in good working order.
To help you in doing this, here are three tips for caring for your hot water heater.
Adjust The Temperature Based On Your Life
If you haven’t checked out the temperature that your hot water heater is set at recently, you may want to take a look at it and see how you may need to adjust the temperature based on your life and your needs. Especially if you’re looking for ways to save energy or save on your energy bills, turning down the temperature on your hot water heater can make a big difference.
In most cases, turning down the temperature on your hot water heater by 10 degrees can save you five percent on your total energy usage. And along with adjust the temperature that you normally set your hot water heater at, if you know that you’re not going to be using hot water for a few days, like if you’ll be away from home or on a break for your business, turning the hot water heater down to its lowest setting can help you save even more.
Flush The Tank Periodically
To keep your hot water heater in good working order, it’s wise to flush the tank periodically. In most cases, doing this once or twice a year should be sufficient.
Even if you’re not particularly handy, most people should be able to flush their hot water tank on their own with a little bit of guidance. As you do this, you’ll be flushing any sediment that may have accumulated in your hot water heater out of the system so that everything will function more efficiently. This can also help to prolong the life of your hot water heater so you don’t end up having to replace it too soon.
Add More Insulation
Another thing you can do to better protect and prolong the life of your hot water heater is to add more insulation around it.
While the hot water heater itself will already be well insulated, if you add something like a water heater blanket around the tank, it can help to even further reduce heat loss, which can save you a lot of energy. You can also add insulation around the pipes where the hot water leaves the tank so that there’s less energy lost here, too.
If you want to take better care of your water heater, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.
