What Affects How Long a Water Heater Lasts?
While a water heater is a long-term investment, it will not last as long as your home. In fact, depending on the type of water heater you own and your water supply, you may need to replace your water heater three times or more over the span of a 30-year mortgage. However, by knowing what affects how long a water heater lasts, you can extend the life of your unit.
Type of Water Heater
Whether you have a traditional or a tankless water heater significantly impacts the lifespan of the appliance. Tank water heaters go through frequent heating cycles, even if you don’t immediately use the water. Tank water heaters also last for a shorter time if your have certain minerals present in your water.
Tankless water heaters heat the water as needed, reducing the strain on their systems, allowing for a longer lifespan.
Generally, a tank water heater can last up to a decade. This pales in comparison to the almost 20 years of life that a tankless water heater will give you.
Water Mineral Content
Calcium and magnesium are good minerals to include in your diet. However, when these appear in your home’s water, they can cut the life span of your water heater. In tank water heaters, the heat causes these minerals to separate from the water and sink to the inner surfaces of the heater. Over months and years of regular deposits, the water heater builds up a layer of scale on its heating elements in electric models, reducing its efficiency. In fact, your water heater could even develop holes in its structure from scale, further shortening its life.
Due to not holding a tank filled with heated water, tankless water heaters have a lower chance of developing damage from scale than tank models, contributing to their longer life.
Water Heater Fuel Source
Lastly, the fuel source makes a difference, especially in tank models. An electric water heater lasts for less time than a gas-fueled model because the heating elements in the former can sustain damage from the scale.
A New Water Heater Lasts Longer: Contact Best Service Plumber Today for Installation
Today’s water heaters have greater efficiency. Plus, if you pair this appliance with a home water softening system, you can increase how long your water heater lasts. For both upgrades, contact us at Best Service Plumber. We can also help you if you have any other needs for plumbing repairs, remodeling, or upgrades.
Annual Water Heater Maintenance in Southern California
We take our water heaters for granted every time we turn on the hot water for showers, to wash dishes, and to clean our clothes. If properly maintained, hot water heaters can last between 8 and 10 years, with the newer tankless water heaters lasting even longer. To see the best performance from your hot water heater in your Southern California home, contact Plumbing Concepts in Southern California for an annual tune-up for the best efficiency.
Why You Need Annual Maintenance on Your Hot Water Heater
Having a professional plumbing company like Plumbing Concepts in Southern California service your water heater each year can extend the life. Here’s how:
- Tank Water Heaters – The tank-style water heaters gather sediment build-up that needs to be flushed from the tank at least yearly. Having sediment in the tank can affect efficiency as well as hot water quality by interfering with the heater’s ability to warm the water. Plumbing Concepts has factory-trained technicians to help keep your water heater in tip-top shape. By routinely replacing the flex lines and flushing the water heater to prevent corrosion, and so any issues can be detected and prevented before it leaks and causes damage.
- Tankless Water Heaters – Plumbing Concepts also offers the yearly maintenance of tankless water heaters. Since there is no tank, there is no chance for sediment to gather, however, these units need to have the lines flushed to remove the hard water and limescale build-up that often accumulates in pipes and prevents the water heater from working properly.
Contact the experienced team at Plumbing Concepts in Southern California, CA today to schedule your preventative maintenance on your water heater for greater efficiency and lower utility bills in the long run.