A water heater is an essential appliance in any home that provides hot water for various purposes, such as cooking, cleaning, and bathing. There are several parts of a water heater that work together to heat the water in your home and make it available for use.
The Parts Of A Water Heater
Tank– This is the primary storage unit of a water heater that holds the hot water. It is usually made of metal and is insulated to maintain the temperature of the water. Caution, this can be hot to the touch.
Thermostat – The thermostat is responsible for controlling the temperature of the water in the tank. It can be adjusted to reach the desired temperature and maintain it. Before adjusting this yourself, we recommend calling the experts.
Heating Element – This is the part of the water heater that heats the water. It is usually located at the bottom of the tank and is made of metal.
Dip Tube – The dip tube is a long, narrow pipe that runs from the top to the bottom of the tank. It allows the cold water to enter the tank and be heated by the heating element.
Pressure Relief Valve – This safety valve opens to release excess pressure if the water temperature gets too high.
Anode Rod – The anode rod is a metal rod that protects the tank from rust and corrosion. It attracts the corrosive particles in the water and prevents them from damaging the tank.
Cold Water Inlet Valve – This valve allows the cold water to enter the tank and be heated.
Hot Water Outlet Valve – This valve allows the hot water to be dispensed from the tank and to the pipes in your home.
Understanding these main parts will help you make informed decisions about the maintenance and repair of your water heater.
Tips To Help Keep Your Water Heater In Shape
Clean the anode rod every year to help prevent corrosion and rust from building up in the tank. Be cautious when cleaning the anode rod, so you don’t burn yourself. If you’re in need of assistance, be sure to call the experts.
Be sure to drain and flush the system once a year to help avoid sentiment build-up.
Keep an eye on the water pressure levels, which should typically be between 50-120 psi.
Watch your energy bills, if it begins to increase, it may be worth considering upgrading your water heater to a newer model.
Book maintenance appointments so the experts can ensure everything is running properly.
Contact Us
No matter your water heater needs, Reliance Heath Water Heater Rentals is here to help. Whether you require maintenance, a consult, or assistance, take advantage of our experts. For more information, be sure to contact us today.
You just received last month’s water bill and well, let’s just say it was a bit of a shock! “Did I really use that much hot water?” you wonder to yourself as you reminisce on those nice warm baths and extra loads of laundry you did from all those weekends spent at the cabin. Well, maybe. Either way, the bill seems a little bit too steep to not make some minor tweaks to your water usage habits so the same thing doesn’t happen again next month. Today, we share our top tips for using less hot water and saving money on your water heater bill!
Time It Out
Being strategic about when you’re using your hot water or not is a great way to help reduce costs. Based on the season, a lot of people will either turn down their furnaces or turn off their A/C in the evenings to save a few dollars and cut down on monthly costs. There’s no reason that the A/C has to be pumping all throughout the night. The same goes for your water heater. A water heater timer is a great option to help cut down your monthly utility costs. Set your desired times for it to turn on and off and see it pay off (literally) in the long run!
Decreasing Your Water Temperature
One of the easiest ways to help decrease your water heating bill is to go straight to the source. This means reducing the temperature of your water heater. Turning down the thermostat, even if it’s just a few degrees is one simple and sneaky way to cut down on overall costs. Head down to the storage room, unscrew the access panel and adjust the temperature. On most Bradford White water heaters, the standard temperature is typically set to 140 F. You’ll know that this is the case if the nob is at the halfway point between A and B. Slightly adjust the nob to the left, leaving it at around 120 F.
Replace Your Water Heater
Your current water heater may have been kicking for the last 15-20 years…but over the last few months, you’ve noticed that it hasn’t been performing as well as it used to. It may be time to ditch your old, costly water heater and replace it with a newer more efficient option. Cue Reliance Heath! We use a durable and efficient lineup of gas and electric Bradford White water heaters.
At Reliance Heath, our main priority is ensuring that all of our customers are happy, healthy and getting all of their hot water needs met..without breaking the bank! If you’ve troubleshot and tested all of our money-saving hacks and are still seeing no change in your hot water bill, replacing your water heater unit may be the next natural step.
Our team is just one quick phone call away! Connect with us and let us take care of all your hot water needs!
