Do you know how long your water heater will live? If you asked Consumer Reports, probably about 10 years.
However, a water heater’s life can be cut short if you don’t maintain it. And there are other problems that could surface without regular maintenance, as well.
Here are the three biggest reasons you need annual water heater maintenance.
Water heaters are like other machines and appliances you use regularly (cars, furnaces, air conditioners) – they have moving parts and internal components that must be kept up in order to continue to function safely.
If you ran your vehicle without ever changing its oil, it wouldn’t be a real surprise when your engine started having problems. In the same way, a water heater that doesn’t undergo regular maintenance may cease to work correctly, which can be extremely dangerous.
As your water heater ages, it becomes less energy efficient. This is due to a variety of things, including a buildup of sediment that can form on the bottom of the tank. Heating water can cause sediment from your water to collect inside your water heater, reducing the amount of water your heater can hold and causing other problems.
Annual water heater maintenance helps avoid these problems and keep your water heater running efficiently.
Rotating the tires on your car helps them last longer because you are wearing the tires down more evenly and using the whole tire tread. Without that regular maintenance (rotating) though, they wouldn’t last as long as they should.
While water heaters aren’t tires, they do need regular maintenance to last the 10-15 years they’re supposed to. Without maintenance, you will end up replacing your water heater much earlier.
The bottom line is that water heater maintenance saves you money in the long-term through – energy savings and a longer lifespan – and keeps you and your family safe. Can you really afford not to maintain your water heater?
For more information on water heater maintenance, ask one of our experts.
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