Things To Know
You'd be astonished at just how lots of individuals don't even know where their hot water heating system can be found. You'd think that a device that massive would be difficult to overlook, but once again, it is normally out of the way. You will not want to discover the location of your hot water heating system by following where the flood of water originated from. It's much better to locate it before anything goes wrong. The very first locations to check would be your basement for those who have one or in a place which has a lot of plumbing.
The second and probably most significant thing is to know how to switch off the water. If something does go wrong and the tank bursts or it has a leak in it somewhere, you'll want to know what to do to get the water to quit flowing. Obviously, you will also want to know how to turn off the water so that you can do that before doing any type of maintenance work on it. You'll usually find a shut-off valve above the heating unit close to the cold side of the piping. It also would not hurt to find out where to shut off the main water line into the house also. Though any recently installed large appliance like a hot water heater will have a shut-off valve that can be operated by hand, old units might need a special tool to switch it off. Keep one of those handy, if not permanently mounted to the hot water heating system, so that you can make the fast moves necessary in a critical situation.
The third and most technical thing to know is what type of water heater you have got in your home. You'll find all sorts of factors to consider that might be important information down the road. You ought to know if your water heater has a storage tank or if it is a tankless unit. You should also know if it is electric, natural gas, or propane powered. If yours is fueled by gas or propane, you ought to know where the shut-off switch is for the fuel line. Of course, that may be very important in an emergency situation.
Things To Do
Besides the things that you should know regarding your water heating system, there is also a range of things that can be done to avoid emergency hot water heater repair in Des Moines, Iowa. First, make sure there isn't a bunch of stuff piled around the unit. If the unit springs a leak, you won't catch it as rapidly if the view of it is obstructed by the boxes of junk that commonly populate a basement. It's especially important to keep stuff away from a gas-powered hot water heater because of the fire hazard and the potential of impeded airflow influencing the unit’s efficiency.
Next, make sure to drain a couple of gallons out every now and then to test for a buildup of sediment. You should do this at least one time each year, and you don't even have to turn the heat down if you don't wish to. Just be sure you use caution with the scalding liquid. If you see a lot of sediment coming out with the water, go on and turn down the water so you can drain the entire tank. Then continue to have the water come out while it tries to fill the tank so that you can make sure that basically all of the debris is cleaned out.
The last thing that you should do is also a yearly task. You will want to totally inspect the hot water heater to look for anything that is out of place. You'll want to check everything for corrosion and excessive abrasion. If you find something that seems wrong, or if you don't feel confident enough to carry out the inspection yourself, get a hold of Green’s Appliance, Heating, and Cooling to get your unit inspected by an expert appliance repairman in Ankeny, Iowa.
