Tankless Water Heaters Need Maintenance Too

We stress water heater maintenance every year, the same way that we stress maintenance for a furnace or boiler. Without routine inspections and tune-ups, a storage tank water heater is in danger of developing problems such as corrosion due to a rusted out sacrificial anode rod. Maintenance will catch troubles with leaks and high water pressure and ensure the best efficient use of energy.

But there’s something we also want to stress because it sometimes gets lost: tankless water heaters, even though they endure longer than storage tank models and require fewer repairs, must also receive annual maintenance. Although tankless water heaters consume less energy and have generally lower workloads than standard tank units, they’re precision machines that require special attention to ensure they keep providing the great performance that makes them so beneficial to homeowners.

In many ways, it’s not too different from what maintenance technicians do for a tank water heater. The system receives an inspection, the natural gas burners are cleaned off, and checks made for problems with leaks. As with any natural gas appliance, a tankless water heater will be looked over for any potential gas leaks from the combustion chamber.

Storage tank water heaters need an occasional flush, but tankless water heaters should have a flush each year during maintenance. This helps to remove mineral build-up inside the unit. Even a small amount of mineral deposits in a tankless water heater can block water from moving through the unit and result in a drop in water pressure. (If plumbers find large amounts of hard water deposits in the system, they’ll recommend you have a water softener installed for the house.)

One of the important parts of any maintenance job for an appliance is finding places where repairs need to be done to prevent bigger repairs later. Your tankless water heater may be running fine outwardly but be developing problems inside. For example, a small water leak inside the tankless system will lead to the worst possible problem for any water heater: corrosion. Water falling across the burners develops into rust flakes and causes efficiency problems—and eventually a full system failure. If corrosion develops far enough, the entire water heater will need to be replaced. Inspections will catch trouble like corrosion early on so it can be repaired before more serious problems develop.

There’s no “season” for water heater maintenance the way there is for air conditioners and heaters. You use your tankless water heater all around the year, so if more than a year has passed since you’ve had it maintained, the time to call for maintenance is now.

No matter if you want to schedule water heater maintenance or water heater repair in Des Moines, IA, call Golden Rule. We offer emergency service as well, so you can have your broken water heater restored to you—fast!

Want a service provider who will treat you and your home like their own? Then call us today: Golden Rule Plumbing, Heating & Cooling—“We Obey the Rules to Live By.”