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Aug 13, 2023

Maintenance can help extend life of your water heater

By Terry Leamon, My Maricopa Plumber Do you wonder if water heater flushes are necessary? Do you do regular maintenance on your water heater? Well, if not, you should be. It helps prevent your water

By Terry Leamon, My Maricopa Plumber

Do you wonder if water heater flushes are necessary? Do you do regular maintenance on your water heater?

Well, if not, you should be. It helps prevent your water heater going out, or worse, from leaking. Doing this helps extend the life of your water heater. The mineral content andhardness of the water dictates how often you should be doing flushes. Annual flushes, if not every six months, are recommended.

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If not regularly flushed, your water heater can corrode more quickly. The sediment can alsoblock the drain valve and also the temperature and relief valve, which prevents your waterheater from exploding. If the water heater is not draining, or draining slowly, the problemis likely a sediment build-up blocking the drain valve. Once the water heater is drained, it will flow steadily and your water heater will be back up and heating your water again.

Another important key to extending the life of your water heater is the anode rod. What is the anode rod, you ask, and why is it important? It is a temporary steel core wire with magnesium, aluminum or zinc around it.

An anode rod exists to protect the metal lining inside of your water heater tank to preventexplosion or corrosion over time. The rod goes in the top of the water heater and attracts the corrosive materials, so it will corrode first.

Over the course of 3-4 years, however, the anode rod will corrode away entirely. When itis NOT replaced, materials start to corrode the water heater itself, eventually leading to leaks. The anode rod should be replaced every three years if you have a water softener and every four years if you do not.

Regular maintenance is extremely important to extend the life of your water heater andprevent water damage from leaks or the bottom rusting out.

520-509-7948MyMaricopaPlumber.com44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 106

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