While you may not give it much thought, you rely on your hot water heater all day every day for cooking, cleaning, and taking relaxing showers. Keeping your hot water heater working well should be a priority—not just because you use it every day, but also because a broken hot water heater could cause a serious disaster in your home.
What problems can a hot water heater cause?
Potential hot water heater problems include water leaks, fires, carbon monoxide leaks and more. Here’s what you should know.
A simple water leak is probably the most likely problem you’ll face with your hot water heater. In many cases a leak is caused by rust. If your water heater only leaks a little bit, the consequences may be mild, but your water heater holds 40-60 gallons of water. If a serious leak develops, you could have gallons and gallons of water flooding your home, destroying your carpet, damaging your walls, and ruining furniture.
While other problems are less frequent, a faulty water heater could also cause fires and carbon monoxide leaks. Don’t risk the health and safety of your family or substantial damage to your home—have your water heater checked and maintain it to keep things running smoothly.
How should you maintain your hot water heater?
There are a few simple things you should do to maintain your hot water heater:
Drain the water from the tank 3-4 times a year. Simply turn off the hot water heater, attach a hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the tank, and empty several gallons into a bucket.
Insulate your water heater, especially if it is a more exposed area like the garage. Just be sure not to cover the temperature-pressure relief valve, the pilot lite, the air intake, or other ventilation.
Anchor your hot water heater to the wall with a strap to prevent damage during an earthquake.
Have your water heater inspected by a professional regularly. Contact Disaster Doctors to schedule an onsite evaluation of your water heater and other preventative safety measures.
Don’t let your water heater damage your home, harm your health, or leave you out in the cold. Contact Disaster Doctors today to learn more about preventing and repairing water damage in your home.
