Have you ever stopped to consider how much your family depends on your home's water heater? Hot water is an essential ingredient any time you need to take a shower, do the laundry, wash your hands, bathe the baby, and so on. Having a water heater fail is as traumatic to a household as having the furnace or air conditioner go out, so having the right equipment and maintaining it properly is essential. Here are two of the most common reasons why Utah water heaters fail and how to prevent problems.

Age

Water heaters begin experiencing problems beginning at about the 5-year mark after installation. A heater will seldom last beyond 12 years and by that time it is highly susceptible to potentially costly leakage problems. Insurance companies report that water heater issues are one of the top five reasons for water-related homeowners' insurance claims: and in 95% of those cases the water heater is old.

Prevention: If your water heater is getting older or if you are not sure of its age, contact Any Hour Services. An expert will come out and perform a thorough inspection and assessment of your system. If you do need a new water heater, Any Hour has the quality products and excellent service you expect from a leadingUtah heating contractor.

Water Tank Corrosion

Every water tank contains an anode rod whose purpose is to attract corrosion-causing products in the water. The idea is that the corrosive substances will attack the rod rather than the metal tank: less corroding of the tank itself means less chance of leakage. However, over time the corrosive forces will wreak havoc on the anode rod and reduce its size and effectiveness. If the problem is not rectified the tank may begin to corrode, causing potentially serious leakage.

Prevention: For relatively new water heaters, have a professional Utah heating contractor from Any Hour services come out and inspect the anode rod every two years. Once a heater is eight years old, the rod should be looked at yearly and replaced whenever necessary. Keep in mind that the use of a water softener in your home will actually wear out the anode rode faster and so that fact should be kept in mind when arranging your heater's maintenance schedule.

A water heater is a significant investment and an important part of maintaining your family's comfort: knowing the common reasons for heater failure and practicing preventive maintenance practices will help it perform better and last longer.

Feb 12th 2013

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