It is often surprising how little most people know about hot water heaters or the best way to keep them maintained and extend their service life. The typical water heating system for modern homes uses a storage tank to hold the water and some means of heating. This is usually a form of combustible fuel such as natural gas or an internal element that heats the water with electrical resistance. This may seem like all that is needed, but storage-based water heaters are a little more complex than that. This is one reason why the Maintenance of an Electric Water Heater in Charlotte NC is so important. For example, electric units have one or more heating elements that require a thermostat for control. It is difficult to know when to replace these items unless the unit has failed.
Two things that the home or property owner can check is leaking water around the unit and the function of the pressure relief valve. The latter is used to keep the tank from building up the too much internal pressure. Most water supply systems have a default pressure that ranges from twenty to forty PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). Heating water increases this pressure and can create some serious conditions if excessive heat is applied. Granted, this is not a normal situation since the unit is designed to handle expansion and pressure. However, if the system cannot shut down properly, it may be necessary for this valve to blow off excess pressure. Checking this failsafe is usually the first step in a routine Electric Water Heater Maintenance in Charlotte NC.
The most common failure in an electric water heater is a broken element. This normally happens as the element ages and corrosion sets in. An electrical element can also be damaged when lime or other heavy deposits build up around or on it. This often happens in older tanks when the sediment buildup blocks the lower heating element. An expert such as All About the Pipes Plumbing. will flush the tank to remove sediment. An element can also short and cause the water heater to continuously run on a lower voltage level. This situation creates a safety problem because the heated water can be scalding since there is no thermostat limiting the power. Visit allaboutthepipes.com for more information about water heater maintenance, repair or replacement.
