Since water heating is the second highest utility expense in your home, homeowners should maintain high efficiency of water heaters and lengthen its lifespan. Even though it plays an important role in determining the expenditure of your home, a water heater is used daily without much maintenance and care. It is tucked away in the part of the house that you don’t often visit and this causes prolonged water heater damage that reduces your water heater’s life span to almost half. Most standard water heaters water heater tanks are made of steel and lined with glass or porcelain and last for about 8 to 15 years and as they age, their tanks oxidize and deteriorate. In comparison, tankless water heaters last 2 to 3 times longer than a standard water heater as long as they’ve been taken care of.

Apart from the monotonous procedure of water heater installation, you need to maintain the normal working of your water heater so that your water heater repair costs are minimum. At Intact Plumbing & Heating, our professionals are trained, skilled and experienced in carrying out both simple and extensive water heater repair in areas of Bergen County & Passaic County, New Jersey. We carry out all electric and gas water heater repair as well as tankless water heater maintenance service through emergency bookings and regular appointments.

As a responsible homeowner, it is your duty to follow these wise tips for extending the life of your water heater. They’re proven ways to ensure that your water heater doesn’t give up way before when it has to.

1. INSTALL AN EXPANSION TANK

A proven method to double the life of your water heater, if your water heater works on a closed system, is by fixing an expansion tank. When you heat water in the general sense, it expands which can cause problems in a closed system because there isn’t enough space available for the water to fluctuate in depth. When you have an expansion tank and heat the water from 50 degrees to 120 degrees, the water expands by 2%. The expansion tank will alleviate the water pressure on your system and prolong the lifespan of your water heater which otherwise would deteriorate due to the increase and decrease in the water pressure inside the water heater.

When it comes to installing something new in your home, place your trust on us for all your water heater installation appointments. Our experts have experience in installing even the most complicated systems in an efficient and reliable manner at affordable costs.

2. CLEAN YOUR WATER HEATER REGULARLY

Flushing or cleaning your water heater tank removes and prevents small amounts of sediment that get buildup every time you use the water heater. Water supplies contain some form of trace material known as calcium carbonate that makes up the sediments that are collected inside your water heater. Lack of consistent cleaning and flushing of your water heater can cause prolonged buildup, known as scaling, and drastically reduce its lifespan. To avoid this, you should either flush out or clean your water heater at least once a year. All you have to do is turn off all the water lines connected to the water heater as well the main power. At the bottom of the heater, you’ll find a drain valve, through which the contents of the tank flow out. Open the drain valve slowly and let the water run until it gets clear and rid of sediments. In the end, turn the power back on and give the whole system a flush. If you’re unable to carry out the cleaning yourself, contact our professionals to come extend the life of your water heater, on the same day!

3. INSTALL A WATER SOFTENER

It’s natural that hard water left in your water heater causes scale buildup because of the existent mineral choke from water supplies as well as the high intensity of magnesium and calcium. Scaling can drastically reduce the life of a water heater. By installing a water softener, you can filter out mineral deposits found in hard water, which can reduce the speed at which such sediments gather. A water softener can thus help reduce the overuse of the plumbing system due to its backlash with hard water. These minerals are completely safe for humans, but they’re a hazard for your water heater.

4. INSTALL A PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE

When the water pressure is high, usually above 90 PSI, it can cause immediate damage to your water heater as well as put pressure on other appliances. By installing a pressure regulating valve (PRV), you can reduce the intensity of pressure which can improve the efficiency of your water heater drastically. With a PRV, your system pressure is reduced and it’s even more effective when you install an expansion tank. Get the installation done with a heating service company as they will better understand the precise requirements fitting your water heater and if anything goes wrong, it can be fixed right on the job.

5. ADD OR REPLACE THE ANODE ROD

You can either add another anode rod or replace your old anode rod instantly because it affects the lifespan and efficiency of your water heater, to a great extent. An anode rod is made of magnesium or aluminum that goes through excessive galvanic corrosion in place of your water heater, preventing the corrosion of your water heater tank. Basically, it sacrifices itself for the betterment of your water heater. An anode rod is placed at the center of your water heater. Adding or replacing your worn-out and highly decayed anode rod is very important because that way your water heater tank doesn’t rust and corrode. We, at Intact Plumbing & Heating, advise you to either add a second anode rod or replace your old one once every couple of years. We provide all heating repair services to install or replace parts of your water heater.

In lowering the utility bills fight, especially in winter when the water heater is considered a blessing in disguise, trying to cut costs with your water heating bill can be difficult and impossible to do. But, in truth, it is extremely easy and practicable. Water heating accounts for about 18% of your home’s energy use (even more during winters). Reducing your hot water use, choosing an efficient water heater, and adopting an energy-saving plan of action for your home, can help reduce your monthly water heating bills this winter. Usually, the water heater that exists in most homes is a conventional storage-type water heater that works constantly to keep the water hot and ready whenever required. Since the water is being stored, it naturally cools down in the tank, a process known as “standby heat loss” and the water heater has to kick start again to heat the same water for it become hot and usable. This process of heating and re-heating takes up lots of energy and you’re stuck to pay a stiff water heating bill.

Water heating bills can get extremely expensive to put up with, but there are a few simple solutions that will help you keep your water heating bill and expenses marked down, especially this winter. Follow these three essential tips if you want to keep your water heating bill low:

LOWER TEMPERATURE OF WATER HEATER

Most water heating manufacturers set the water heater thermostats to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the truth is that most households generally require the temperature to be set down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which does not only reduce your energy but also slows corrosion and mineral buildup in the water heater and plumbing. If you’re set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re encouraging the added risk of scalding and unwanted mineral buildup in your tank and pipes. By turning down the tank’s temperature, you’re saving 3% to 5% on your bill with every 10 degrees. Lowering your water heater temperature at or even lower than 120 degrees Fahrenheit can be beneficial for you as the water is still adequately hot and you won’t even feel any difference in the water temperature as opposed to when you set it to 140 degrees.

How to lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit?

• To measure the temperature of the water before altering it, use a thermometer as they’re concise and unlike a thermostat that is often inaccurate. Measure the temperature of the hot water at the faucet farthest away from the water heater.
• Mark the noted temperature on your thermostat and then turn down the thermostat to what you want it to be, that is 120 degrees Fahrenheit and wait for at least 2 hours before you note the temperature again with a thermometer. After a few rounds of testing, once you hit the correct temperature that is required, mark it on your thermostat and you’re good to go.
• Sometimes, water heaters don’t have a numbered gauge, to get 120 degrees put it midway between low and medium marks. Keep testing the temperature with a thermometer until you hit your target temperature.

INSULATE YOUR WATER HEAT PIPES

Insulating your hot water pipes can reduce heat loss and can quickly raise the water temperature by 2 degrees to 4 degrees Fahrenheit. You won’t notice such a difference if your pipes aren’t insulated thus, not allowing you to lower your water temperature settings and reduce heat loss. Sometimes, the distance traveled by pipes is long so they’re exposed to very cold air (in which case they should be insulated to reduce freezing). You can insulate your hot water pipes by contacting our professionals who provide plumbing and heating services in Bergen County & Passaic County, New Jersey. Whether you want insulation for your current home or on a new construction of a home, we provide excellent water heater installation, water heater replacement and water heater repair services and our technicians are experienced and skilled in getting your hot water pipes insulated, after proper consultation and investigation, and ready for winter.

While you can get in touch with us to insulate your pipes for water heater repair, you can even insulate the pipes yourself.

• Determine the type of insulation material you want to use, the length of the pipes, and the correct size of the pipes. You can begin at the water heater, start by measuring the lengths of insulation required to cover all existing hot water pipes (up to 3 feet of pipes from the water heater).
• Alter the insulation or “pipe sleeve” as per the lengths required.
• Place the insulation or “pipe sleeve” face down on the pipe.
• You can use either tape, wire or a cable tie to secure the insulation to the pipe.

For conventional water heater repair, the insulation is made with polyethylene or neoprene foam, and for gas water heater repair, the insulation is commonly made with fiberglass pipe-wrap with either wire or aluminum securing.

INSULATE YOUR WATER HEATER

Most newer models of water heaters have already been insulated to cut costs for water heating bills, especially during winters. To ensure that your water heater tank is insulated, look on its label to see if it has an R-value of at least 24. If not, then you should think about insulating it. And if you have an older hot water tank, chances are it’s not insulated. Insulating your water heater is an easy way to improve its energy efficiency. Considering insulting water heater tanks can reduce standby heat losses by 25% to 45% and secure you with 4% to 9% in water heating costs. Before you start weighing your options down to insulating your water heater by yourself or contact a professional and emergency heating repair service company, like us, to insulate your water heater,you need to perform a basic pre-insulation check-up to your water heater to ensure that it isn’t leaking and also to make note of the kind of insulation you require. We provide all such examinations and determine the best insulation requirements for your water heater, quickly and efficiently.

The process to insulate your water heater is extremely simple.

• Measure the body of the water heater, excluding the vent on top, and wrap the blanket around the water heater and place the tape to secure the holding. Use a marker to mark the areas where controls are so that you can cut them out.
• After the insulation is installed, don’t increase the water heater temperature above 130 degrees Fahrenheit as the insulating jacket may overheat.

Apart from these three essential tips, you can cut water heating costs by draining any water sediments build-up in water heating tanks, and seal any air leaks in and around window frames and doors of your bathroom to reduce cold air from entering your house.