Monthly Tip about Hot Water Heaters!

How well do you know your home and its systems?

As the industry leader in professional home inspections, providing information to help your clients and yourself live better in your homes is what we do. Each month we provide home safety tips and do-it-yourself checklists to inform you what is required for a home to function efficiently and properly according to regulations. You will not only learn what items you should be aware of when showing a home to buyer or listing a home for a seller, but also discover how to properly maintain these items. This month’s checklist is regarding hot water heaters.

How to Inspect the Hot Water Heater:

• Starting at the top and working toward the bottom, do you see any leaks, rust, or corrosion?
• Locate the cold water supply line and confirm a non-leaking shut-off valve.
• Confirm the cold water supply line enters the water heater at the point marked 'Cold'.
• Locate the hot water supply line exiting at the point marked 'Hot'. Try running hot water at the closest tap and check the temperature by feeling the pipe.
• Confirm the Temperature Pressure Relief Valve (TPRV) is connected to an extension pipe that drops to within 6 inches of the floor.
• Inspect the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Check for leaking.
• Confirm a drain pan is positioned under the tank, if on or over the floor of living space. This will allow a forewarning should your tank develop a leak.
• Confirm the water heater itself (if gas) is positioned 18” off the ground on a stand. This is required by lenders if the water heater is located in the garage.
• Confirm there are two seismic straps holding the water heater, they should be place 1/3 from the top and the bottom to ensure it is safely strapped to the wall.

How to Maintenance the Hot Water Heater:

Every few months, you should check your water heater for leaks and flush it out to avoid buildup of sediment inside the tank. If these deposits are not removed periodically, the sediment will create a barrier between the burner and the water, greatly reducing the water heater's performance level.

Steps to success:

Turn off the gas or electrical power and let the water cool down a little.

Close the incoming water valve, and attach a hose to the drain valve to run the water into a large bucket, or to a drain or the outdoors.

Open the drain valve, and turn on one hot water faucet somewhere in the house to let in air.

When all the water has drained from the water heater; turn the cold water valve on and off until the water from the drain runs clear.

Then close the drain valve and the hot water faucet.

Open the cold water valve, and turn the water back on.

Also, this is also a good time to test the temperature-pressure relief valve, which keeps pressure in the boiler from building up too much. Lift or lower its handle. Water should drain from the overflow pipe. If it does not, call in a repair professional as this could result in a potentially dangerous situation.

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