Are you keeping an eye on your hot water heater?
An ounce of prevention eliminates a lot of possible headaches down the line.
Here are 3 things you can do to give your hot water heater a long life:
1) Drain or flush your hot water heater!
Use either a 5-gallon bucket or a garden hose and run it to a place where the hot water will not cause damage (do not drain it to your landscaping or lawn, hot water may kill the grass).
If you notice a lot of sediment or debris then we recommend a full flush. This is where you empty the tank completely of water, then turn the water back on while the drain is open and let the water flow for a minute or so to help remove any lingering sediment or debris.
2) Give your hot water heater some breathing room!
Make sure the area around your water heater is clear and do not store anything within a few feet of your unit. If you have a gas fired (natural gas or propane) unit, the water heater needs to “breathe.” As the burner fires, it needs oxygen to burn the gas. When a water heater is smothered or does not have enough oxygen, it can affect the efficiency of the unit, cause damage to the burner chamber and other water heater parts and even cause carbon monoxide leaks.
If the unit starts to leak, the water can be hidden from view or soak into what is being stored around it. This can cause a prolonged leak, which has the potential to cause more water damage and cause to water heater to reheat itself more often, wasting energy. Lastly, it is a fire hazard.
3) Be prepared if the worst does come!
Keep a Water Heaters Only, Inc. Los Angeles emergency shutdown sticker on your water heater.
When you have problems with your unit, the sticker can help walk you through shutting of the gas and water and it has our 24-hour emergency phone number so you can give us a call if you are not sure what to do next or if you are having a problem with turning anything off. If you need a Water Heaters Only, Inc Los Angeles shut down sticker – email help@whlosangeles1231609.mystagingwebsite.com or call (323) 234-7071 and we will be happy to mail you one!