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5 Simple Tips to Repair Minor Damages in a Hot Water Heater!

Hot Water Heater is indispensable and it is important that we learn simple hacks to take care of the minor repairs. The maintenance part and repair part is simple. It gets affected by sediment and rust. It is the major problem in all of them and hot water heater repair is a must so that it lasts long.

Here are five simple tips to repair your water heater.

1. Clean the tank

You need to drain the water and clean the tank at least once in a year but if you do it every six months, it will be more helpful. Draining out the tank will remove most of the sediment, which gets collected at the bottom of the tank. While doing so, make sure that you have switched off the power and removed the plug to save you from flowing electric current.

2. Change the Anode Rod

If the temperature of water of hot water heater has dipped then check the anode rods. The anode rods are built of magnesium. With time the anode rods gets covered with deposition of calcium citrate and other chemicals present in water. This deposition affects the temperature of hot water heater. These rods have life span of 5-10 years. It is important to clean them each time you clean your tank or when you find that the heater is not giving required temperature of water; it’s time for hot water heater repair.

3. Check the pressure relief valve

If there is any leakage always check the pressure valve. You can check the valve by lifting its lever and see whether it is releasing any pressure or not. Usually, the valve gets filled with excessive of calcium carbonate. So you need to exercise caution while doing this as the valve only releases hot water. You need to replace the valve and it can be done by just using a screwdriver. Remember to disconnect hot water heater before any close inspection or repair.

4. Check electric heating element

The heating element is a rod that screws into the side of the water tank, there are usually two of them – high and low. The rod is connected with electric wires so you need to be a little careful while checking the heating element. Shut off the power, cold water supply valve and open the pressure release valve. Drain out the water from the tank by using a hose and open the cover located at the bottom of the tank where the heating element is located. Disconnect the wires from the heating element and replace it, if it is not working effectively.

5. Dip Tube

A dip tube is a plastic tube on the cold water inlet side, which carries the cold water to the bottom of the tube. This is where the heating process goes on. This tube helps in keeping the hot water at the top of the tank and if it breaks then cold water will surge to the top of the tank. While fixing this, shut off the incoming water valve and remove the flex line from the incoming cold water to water heater. Remove the fitting on the top of tanker and pull out the dip tube.

Conclusion

These are the few simple tips for hot water heater repair. Whenever you inspect or check the hot water heater, do not forget to disconnect the power supply. If you are well aware of the different parts of hot water heater and versed with electrical & plumbing repairs, then only give it a try else get the help of a good electrical & plumbing technician.

About Nathan Baddon

Nathan has over 10 years in the home improvement industry with hands-on, in-the-field experience, as well as management and construction oversight. He's worked on anything from 4 bedroom homes to 8,000 sqft Custom lodges. He's well versed on quality standards in all trades with a special focus in electrical, plumbing, drywall and framing. While being a Master in his career, he still finds time to play piano, ride dirtbikes, and shred the heavy metal on guitar.

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