After a nice sizzling hot summer, fall is finally here, and winter is just a couple of months away. This means you will soon find yourself taking your blankets out and making necessary arrangements to keep your home warm.
However, before this, you might also want to consider some maintenance activities, including plumbing, drainage, your heating system, and other appliance tests, to keep them efficient in winter without any disruption. Having the inspection, repairs, and maintenance done by a professional heating and air conditioning service provider ensures a safe and non-problematic winter.
No one wants to shower, do laundry, and wash dishes with cold water on a chilly morning. To avoid this inconvenience, you have to make sure your water heater is in optimal functioning condition. Fortunately, doing so is very easy.
You can self-inspect some signs of wear and tear and get it fixed. If you fear missing any important details, you can always schedule a seasonal inspection and repair with a professional HVAC contractor.
Also Read: What Is The Importance Of Preventative HVAC Maintenance?
The following blog post explains the top water heater maintenance tips to follow in the fall, to help you prepare for the winter.
Flush Out The Tank
The best practice to keep your storage water heater effective and functional for a longer time is to clean its tank at least once a year. Doing so allows you to clear out any sediment in the tank. You will most likely find fall to be the best time to clean the water heater tank. A cleared tank will have room to store expected sediment in the high activity months of winter.
Moreover, cleaning the tank is important because if excessive sediment accumulates in the tank for a long time, it can lead to corrosion and even break off the tank.
Replace The Anode Rod
Your tank has a setting that reads reaction tank, where the anode rods are made of magnesium, zinc, or aluminum around a steel rod. These rods are temporary but play a crucial role in saving your tank from corrosion and rusting.
Generally, the anode rods are placed to rust and corrode in place of the metal in the tank. So, if while inspecting, you find the anode extra corroded, this means that the tank metal is at risk. Therefore, you need to get the anode replaced by a professional HVAC contractor as early as possible. The introduction of a fresh anode rod will keep the rust and corrosion diverted from the tank’s metal.
A typical anode rod can last for 3 to 5 years before needing a replacement. However, depending on the hardness of water and several other factors, it can seek replacement before the estimated time. So, it is advisable to inspect it after every few months as part of your regular water heater maintenance.
Insulate The Tank
Another important maintenance step is to keep your water heater tank insulated. Insulation makes it easier for the tank to heat the water, and loss of energy is kept to a minimum. You can simply insulate the tank by covering it with foil blankets. You can easily find them in any hardware store.
Insulating a water tank seems like a very easy and cheap step, but it can save a lot of money for you in terms of energy bills. So, we recommend having your insulation blanket inspected for any leaks before winter and getting it optimized. This will help you control your energy bills in the colder months when the usage is very high.
About Nor Can Heating
We provide professional, reliable, and cost-effective HVAC services to help you make the most of your HVAC system. Our HVAC specialists at Nor-Can Heating & Air perform routine maintenance, repairs, and installations on HVAC systems such as air conditioners, water heaters, humidifiers, and furnaces. As a group of respected and skilled HVAC experts in Edmonton, we see it as our duty to help our clients choose the best systems for their particular HVAC requirements.
By calling Nor-Can Heating & Air, you’ll not just broaden the existence of your water heater; you’ll also protect yourself and your home from the unnecessary stress of a potentially disastrous water heater situation. Have issues with your HVAC system? Contact us now.
