Now we have two types of heaters, electric and gas. But they both have a safety device called a pressure relief valve. It may happen that the tank is over-pressurized, in this case, the relief valve opens and releases the pressure. You have to be careful because if the valve does not work and it does not indicate the pressure correctly, the tank may over-pressurize and explode.
How To Control The Pressure Valve?
We must not forget that we always have to use gloves, goggles, and protective clothing to carry out maintenance on a water heater. Then:
1. We will disconnect the electricity from the water heater, or we will put the gas switch to the pilot and close the cold water inlet of the heater.
2. We put a bucket to collect the water from the pressure relief valve.
3. We pull the valve lever. We have to hear a slight gust of air or see a little water and steam come out of the pressure relief valve. Otherwise, we must drain the tank and replace the valve.
4. Clean the tank once every six months
The reason is that sediment builds up in the tank, thus reducing the energy efficiency of the water heater and can also clog the water lines. We can very easily avoid these annoying problems by increasing the life of the heater just by washing the tank every time we check the pressure relief valve. When dealing with such issues in southern Colorado feel free to reach out to Water Heater Repair Colorado Springs, and they’ll happily assist you.
To Wash The Tank, We Can Follow The Following Steps:
1. Disconnect the electricity from the water heater or put the gas switch on the pilot and close the cold water inlet.
2. Place the end of the hose where we can drain. With the pressure relief valve open, we open the drain valve and allow the tank to drain completely. We drain the tank completely, making sure that you have removed as much sediment as possible.
3. We close the tank drain valve, disconnect the hose from the valve, and close the pressure relief valve.
4. We open all the hot water taps in the house and connect the cold water inlet to the tank.
5. We turn off each hot water tap as the water starts to come out. After closing all the faucets, we turn on the electricity or turn the gas switch on.
Gas Water Heaters: Pilot Lighting
Typically a new installation gas water heater will have some air in the gas line. Remember that it may take several attempts to light the pilot. Some brands’ gas water heaters have an advanced gas valve with an LED indicator.
Be Careful With Electric Water Heaters And Before Connecting To Electricity
A very common problem with electric water heaters occurs when electrical power is turned on before the tank is completely full. If so, the upper resistor may burn out and therefore, will not have hot water until the upper resistor is replaced.…