Use a hot water heater maintenance checklist to prolong the life of the water heater and boost its performance.
Use this furnace maintenance checklist template to identify furnace repair and maintenance needs.
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Using the following hot water heater maintenance checklist will ensure that all the essential steps are followed in performing regular preventive maintenance, helping to prolong the life and efficiency of water heaters in residential or commercial buildings. Contractors can do these inspections and maintenance, building managers, plumbers, or skilled homeowners.
There are two categories into which maintenance checklists for water heaters can be divided - water heaters with tank and devices without tank. Following our handy electric and gas water heater maintenance checklist will ensure that all vital maintenance points are covered, and that the maintenance check is done safely.
1. Benefits using a water heater maintenance checklist
2. Step-by-step checklist for units with tanks
3. Step-by-step checklist for units without tanks
4. More effective water heater maintenance with Lumiform
It is generally recommended that water heater maintenance checks are done once a year. Using our comprehensive, step-by-step hot water heater maintenance checklist will ensure that:
Experts also recommend that water heaters be drained and thoroughly flushed at least once (preferably twice) a year to remove scale. Scale is a sediment of natural minerals like magnesium and calcium that forms and settles in the tank during the heating process. This reduces the water heater’s efficiency, can create fluctuating temperatures, and raise energy bills.
Regular preventative maintenance using our electric and gas water heater maintenance checklist will also prolong the water heater's life, thereby saving money. In addition, it will allow you to pick up on minor, easy-to-correct problems before they become major headaches – or just cold showers.
A water heater (or geyser) may be an electrical or a gas unit, and it may have a tank or be a tankless unit. A hot water heater is expected to last from 8 - 13 years. Remember that regular maintenance will improve a water heater’s longevity and performance.
Here’s our comprehensive step-by-step water heater maintenance checklist for models with tanks:
This applies whether the tank is electric or gas, and should ideally be done the night before so the water is not too hot.
The pressure relief valve is an important safety mechanism that prevents the water heater from exploding should too much pressure or steam build up inside the tank.
There will be a switch on the side of the water heater, with a plastic or copper discharge pipe leading down to a drainage pan connected to a drainage site. The valve will open automatically to release the pressure when it gets too high in the tank.
Test the pressure relief valve as follows:
Apply a solution of dish-washing soap and warm water to all joints and pipes and see if bubbles appear. This will indicate a leak that needs to be fixed. Also, check for any loose fasteners, screws, nuts, bolts, as well defective gaskets.
Both gas and electric water heaters will have an anode rod, which is a tube of either magnesium, zinc, or aluminum. The anode rod is a ‘sacrificial’ device designed to prolong the water heater’s life by deliberately attracting corrosive minerals to itself, so the rod rather than the tank is corroded.
If the rod is severely corroded, it should be replaced. Flexible rods are available for water heaters in constricted spaces. A pipe thread sealant must be used on the threads because plumber’s tape renders the rod less efficient.
Tankless water heaters don’t store water in a tank but heat water on demand. However, they still need regular maintenance. Here is our hot water heater maintenance checklist for tankless water heaters:
Lumiform is a powerful mobile inspection app that helps technicians, building managers and homeowners effectively use digital checklists for water heater maintenance. Using pen and paper for regular water heater maintenance can be tedious and time-consuming. Lumiform puts an end to this: maintenance tasks can be planned, recorded and documented digitally. Why not switch to a digital tool that makes the job easier?
The five most important advantages that Lumiform brings to water heater maintenance work: