Water Heater Maintenance and Cleaning
If you aren’t mechanically inclined, a water heater may seem like it will work forever – until it doesn’t. But if you check your manual, you’ll see that all manufacturers recommend regular maintenance whether your water heater is a traditional tank or a tankless water heater.
You can read about the many benefits of water heater maintenance below, and find out how it can actually save you money long term.
Friendly Expertise Since 1949
There’s no better place to get expert water heater care than from the friendly experts at ATEL Air.
- Expert technicians with a friendly approach
- Thorough inspection and cleaning
- Written report
Bonus – with our VIP program, you get scheduled maintenance every year. Learn about our VIP Program >
Professional expertise since 1949
How Regular Water Heater Maintenance Pays Off
Like any machine, a furnace needs care. Here are 7 reasons you should invest in yearly furnace maintenance.
1. Maximum Energy Efficiency Means You Save on Energy
Natural minerals in your water (like calcium and magnesium) will build up on your water heater’s heat exchanger and other parts over time. This means your water heater has to work harder to heat your water to your desired temperature. This wastes energy and costs you more.
Tankless water heaters should be flushed yearly. Hot water tanks are prone to sediment build up on the bottom, and should be cleaned out.
2. Longer Lifespan Saves on Replacement Costs
The harder your water heater has to work, the more parts gets stressed. If one part is failing, it can mean others have to work even harder. Your ATEL Air technician can let you know if parts are wearing out and should be replaced to help your water heater last longer.
The longer you can make your water heater last, the less you spend buying new ones over your lifetime.
3. Peace of Mind
ATEL Air’s maintenance checks come with a written report that tell you how your water heater is performing. You’ll get an expert opinion on its overall fitness, so you know if it’s likely to break down or not.
As an appliance that works by burning fuel, your water heater naturally produces exhaust gasses like CO (carbon monoxide). One of the things we check is your venting system, to ensure these dangerous gases are being safely removed from your home.
Our 19-Point Water Heater Tune Up Checklist
We’ve heard one competitor brag that they can do a water heater service check in under 15 minutes. We don’t think that’s very thorough.
An ATEL Air technician will spend an hour or more checking and cleaning key parts and flushing hard scale build up or sediment. Then we review our report with you for about 15 minutes, explaining how your water heater is doing on all of these points. We check:
- Ensure there are no gas leaks and piping connections meet code
- Ensure there are no water leaks or corrosion that may develop into flooding.
- Ensure there are no issues with the venting system, like flue obstructions. We check for proper slope, support and proper termination.
- Confirm power venting motor is working properly if there is one.
- Ensure all safety controls are working correctly (including temperature and pressure relief valves), and adjust if needed.
- Ensure that water pressure is acceptable as per current code.
- Drain the unit checking for sediment that is flushing out indicating more cleaning is required, flush out remaining sediment.
- Check heat exchanger to ensure it is completely cleared.
- Inspect heat exchanger for signs of wear and damage.
- Clean burners.
- Ensure flame sensor is in working order.
- Clean and adjust pilot assembly.
- Clean and check spark and ignition control.
- Adjust burner and analyze for efficiency including temperature rise.
- Check line pressure.
- Check manifold pressure.
- Lubricate all moving parts..
- Ensure drains are working correctly.
- Inspect all connections and look for loose wires.
We believe this is the most thorough water heater tune up available on the market today.
They actually did the work for less than quoted. I would have ticked timeliness as well but it did take awhile as this is probably their busiest time of the year and we were not available at all times. They were very good to try and work around our schedule.
Just wanted to let you know the unit is working great. I even think it is blowing better then it did before.
Anne and I am really impressed that you and your team got this resolved quickly. You even came out first thing in the morning to get it repaired… Talk about customer service!!!
We appreciate how quickly your company was able to accommodate us and rearrange your schedule to install the water heater. It gave us peace of mind knowing that CO3 wouldn’t be backing into our home.