Water heaters are one of those appliances we rely upon everyday to meet our needs. Whether gas or electric, they are usually very dependable and quiet, and they can last for a decade or more when we follow the recommended maintenance schedule from the water heater manufacturer or our local plumber. As a professional plumber in Las Vegas, we see plenty of water heaters that don’t last as long as they could have had the owner followed this 3-step annual maintenance plan.

Water heaters are quiet and generally run without incident providing us with hot water for showers, cleaning, and cooking needs. Whether electric or gas, water heaters are very reliable, and no one notices them because they can last for a 10 years or even longer when we adhere to the maintenance schedule provided by the water heater manufacturer or the plumber who installed the water heater. As a professional plumbers, we see too many water heaters that don’t make it as long as they should have if the owner had only followed this 3-step annual maintenance plan.

3-Steps to Follow If you follow this easy 5 minute, step-by-step annual maintenance plan, you can drastically lengthen the service life of your water heater:

Here are the details:

1. Check your the temperature setting on the water heater: Go to the temperature setting dial on your water heater. It will be a knob near or on the gas valve or a thermostat located behind an electric water heater panel. Turn the temperature setting lower so it is between 115 to 120 degrees F. This reduced setting will prevent the tank from overheating and will drastically reduce the energy used to heat the water.

1. Dial down your the temperature setting on the water heater: Go to the temperature setting knob on your water heater. It will be a dial near or on the gas valve or a thermostat located behind an electric water heater panel. Dial the temperature setting lower so it is between 115 to 120 degrees F. The lower setting will prevent the tank from getting too hot damaging the lining and will drastically cut down the energy used to heat the water.

3. Removal of sediments from the bottom of the tank is important to prevent corrosion and rust and improve operating efficiency. Even though a full water heater tank drain and flush is optimum, doing a complete flush is a bit of work and requires shutting down the water heater completely leaving you without hot water for a certain period of time. This mini-flush works well, and it takes a fraction of the time while allowing you to keep the water heater is running: Put a bucket under the drain valve found at the bottom of the tank. Some drain valves have a full handle while others have a short stem with a slot for a flat head screwdriver. Turn the valve counter-clockwise to release a few gallons of water into the bucket. Close the valve by turning it clockwise and drain the bucket.

3. Removal of sediments from the bottom of the tank is important to prevent rust, corrosion and improve efficiency. Although a full water heater tank draining and flush is best, performing a full flush is a bit of work and requires shutting down the water heater. This mini-flush works well, takes a fraction of the time and allows you to do it while the water heater is running: Place a bucket under the drain valve found near the bottom of the tank. Some drain valves have a handle. Others have a short handle-less stem with a slot for a flat blade screwdriver. Turn the valve counter-clockwise to release a few gallons of water into the bucket. Close the valve by turning it clockwise and drain the bucket.

To prevent early purchase of a new water heater in Las Vegas, we at Oracle plumbing recommend a 3 step water heater maintenance program to our customers.