At Tony & Son Plumbing, we have served Hampton Roads since 1982 with a full range of quality, licensed plumbing and gas services. So, we have seen a lot of situations and would like to offer you some tips. One of the household appliances that we get a lot of calls about is water heaters. The best thing you can do to avoid problems with your water heater is to learn a little bit about how to get the maximum life out of your water heater.

How To Get The Maximum Life Out Of Your Water Heater

  1. Turn off the power breaker to your water heater. Assure that the power is off, for your safety and the safety of others. If you do not feel comfortable with this step, please stop and contact us for help.
  2. Secure (close) the valve feeding your water heater, so that no more water will enter the tank.
  3. Connect a hose to the bottom of the water heater, and assure where the other end of the hose will drain is outside your home.
  4. Open the drain valve, so that the water will drain out of the tank through the drain hose you just connected.
  5. Once the tank is empty, open the feed valve on top of the water heater. This will allow water to flow through the tank and stir up debris on the bottom of the tank flushing out all the impurities. Let the water run out of the hose for about five minutes.
  6. Next, close the drain valve and disconnect and remove the hose.
  7. Pat yourself on the back – you’re done. Good job!

We suggest doing this process every 6 months to get the most life and functionality out of your water heater. In addition, we suggest to keep your water heater temperature at factory setting, which is 120 degrees. By doing this, not only will the tank last longer, you will save money on utility bills. If your house was built between 1985 and 1994, this is especially important as it probably has polybutylene piping which cannot handle temperatures over 120 degrees.

At Tony & Son Plumbing, we will give you a fair and honest quote for water heater repair, maintenance, or any plumbing or gas work you need. Since we are a local family business with low overhead, our prices are typically substantially lower than the larger companies, and unlike many of the larger companies, we do provide free estimates. Experiencing a problem with your water heater? Tony & Son Plumbing can help! Give us a call at (757) 675-6266 to schedule an appointment for service.