Water Heaters Need TLC

(Newswire.net — December 8, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — When it comes to water heaters, most people have a “set it and forget it” mentality but this approach can end up costing one dearly. The health of a water heater should be considered, the quality of water fed through it is of particular importance. Using a water analysis kit such as the AquaTest™ 7 Way by HealthyWiser™ is the first step in the water heater care as it detects the water’s total hardness, total alkalinity, free chlorine, bromine, pH, total chlorine and cyanuric acid. 

The total hardness of water does the most harm to heaters as hard water contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium. “When heated, dissolved hard water minerals recrystallize and form scale that cakes onto interior surfaces, making the water heater less efficient and more likely to fail,” explains Home Tips, a trusted home improvement website. So accurately determining the hardness of the water supply is critical for proper water heater care. 

There are three main types of water heaters, the traditional gas tank water heater, the electric water heater and the tankless water heater. If a heater is heard gurgling, boiling or making popping sounds then that’s a clear cry for help as limescale deposits belabor the device.  

In fact, if the water begins to boil, a professional should be contacted immediately as the heater is overheating and experiencing pressure buildup. 

Limescale buildup employs different means to the same end of destruction for each type of water heater. For gas tank, heaters calcium and magnesium sediments settle at the bottom of the tank, where the burner is, trapping the heat instead of transferring it to the surrounding water. If left unaddressed, the tank overheats to the point of leaking/rupturing. 

Electric water heaters fair a bit better with limescale but still have their one share of woos. Majority of the hard water minerals will settle at the bottom of the tank but some does land on the heating elements found in the top and middle of tanks. If it ends up building up, corrosion can occur, requiring the heating instrument to be replaced.  

The tankless water heater is almost a fool proof option, almost. “As water moves through the heat exchanger, the minerals will drop out of suspension, but most of the minerals will be cleared out with the water flushing through,” explains Hot Water Tech.  

While it takes a very long time for hard water to do any serious damage to a tankless water heater, it still needs some maintenance at least once a year. 

Installing a water softener in the main water supply is a good way of totally circumventing limescale issues throughout a home. “If the softener is installed as a whole house system, it will stop the problems in all of the fixtures, not just the water heater,” advises ProWater Solutions. Alternately, water heaters may be drained and flushed habitually, like about every four to six months.