Using The Right Plumbing ProductsUsing The Right Plumbing Products

Be it gas, electric, heat pump, or solar, the lifespan of hot water systems depends on the amount of stress put on the system. To extend this lifespan and ensure your hot water system is performing at optimal efficiency, consider learning about reducing and possibly eliminating this stress. Here is an outline of how to deal with the stress on hot water systems.

Insulate Your Tank

With tank-based hot water systems, the temperature of the water in the tank has to be maintained. Unfortunately, your tank will quickly lose a lot of heat if it sits in a cold basement or any other location with poor insulation. Your system will need to work even harder to maintain the temperature.

By insulating the tank, you can reduce heat loss. Your system will not need to work as hard to overcome heat losses and maintain a good temperature. Consider getting insulation jackets that fit perfectly around the tank. 

Check Your Temperature Setting

The higher the temperature setting, the hotter water systems have to work to achieve and maintain the set temperature. In some cases, you may set the temperature so high that you cannot directly use the water without getting scorched.

What happens when you turn the water on and all the way up? If it is too hot to the touch, you should go back and reset the temperature settings. With the adjusted temperature settings, your system will not be under as much stress, and you can look forward to using it for many more years.

Install a Water Softener

Hard water, which is rich in minerals, is likely to leave deposits of these minerals along the inside of your hot water systems tanks. The system will need to work a little harder to heat the water to the same temperature compared to if these deposits were absent. To remove this particular stress, install a water softener. Your plumber can advise you on which type of softener to install.

Schedule a Flushing

Flushing out the tank once or twice a year is an important hot water system maintenance task. It removes the deposits of sediment and other debris that may settle at the bottom and on the sides of the tank, which would otherwise stress the system.

Stressed hot water systems are inefficient systems. By reducing this stress in the ways highlighted, you will improve the efficiency, and by extension, cut down your energy costs and extend your system's lifespan. Contact residential plumbing services to learn more.