Hidden Plumbing Problems: What to Look for

Why Your Tankless Water Heater Needs Routine Maintenance And What That Entails

12 May 2020

Herbert Chambers

If you have a new tankless water heater, you may be wondering how often it needs maintenance. The frequency of flushing the heater depends on the hardness of your water. Your plumber may recommend a maintenance check once a year, but if your heater signals that it needs to be descaled, you should have maintenance done right away. Here's why your tankless heater needs regular maintenance and how it's done.

Why Tankless Water Heater Maintenance Is Needed

The main task involved with tankless water heater maintenance is descaling. Scale builds up inside the heater due to minerals in your water. The more minerals in your water, the quicker the scale builds up.

The minerals can get so thick that they obstruct the flow of water and stress your heater. A heater that's clogged with mineral scale won't operate efficiently, and it will wear out much more quickly. By descaling on schedule, you'll prolong the life of your tankless heater.

How Tankless Water Heater Maintenance Is Done

When you have your heater serviced by a plumber, they do more than simply flush the system. The plumber checks all aspects of the heater to make sure it's clean and functioning properly. This could entail checking codes on the heater and cleaning the filter, screens, and burners.

The plumber might inspect the heat exchanger and clean it when necessary. The plumber may also check the operation of water and gas valves to make sure they can be turned off in an emergency and that they aren't leaking.

Since the heater doesn't have a tank, the descaling solution used to clean it has to be circulated through the system with a pump. The solution is pumped through so the scale is dissolved and flushed out into a bucket or through a drain. This may require several minutes of circulating and flushing to get all the sediment out of the heater. When the water runs clear, the task is complete.

After maintenance has been completed on the water heater, the heater is checked for proper operation and water temperature. The plumber may recommend a cleaning schedule based on the amount of scale buildup, but you'll still want to pay attention to how well the heater functions and clean it when it's needed so your tankless water heater has a long and energy-efficient life.

Tankless water heater maintenance can keep your home equipped with hot water by making sure the heater is in good repair and ready for another year of use. Without proper maintenance, your heater could eventually clog up or wear down and leave you without hot water. Worse, your heater could need expensive repairs to get it back in shape after it's been neglected.

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