When Temps Drop, Bundle Up Your Water Heater

When the temperatures begin to fall, you may shake out your winter clothes and warm bedding, and have your heating system tuned up. Though, have you given any thought to bundling up your water heater for the winter months? Here’s how!

Tank Inspection

• Corrosion: Inspect the storage tank for rust or water stains. Corrosion and stains are signs that the tank is leaking and needs service.
• T&P: Quickly flip the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve. It’s located on the top side of the tank. Hot water should freely spew out, so use caution.
• Pilot: Check the color of the flame (for gas water heaters). If it is an orange color, the burner needs to be cleaned.

Drain the Tank

Impurities in municipal water collect at the bottom of the tank. The buildup of sediment and minerals reduces heating efficiency. So, you or your plumbing professional should flush out the storage tank once a year.

• Prep: Turn off the electricity and gas to your water heater. Close the water inlet valve. Open a hot water fixture at a kitchen or bathroom sink.
• Flush: Attach a garden hose to the drain bib. Extend the hose outside or to a floor drain. Twist open the drain bib.
• Clean: After the tank has emptied, remove the drain bib and use a thin brush to scrub the bottom of the tank.
• Refill: Repeat the preceding steps in reverse to refill your clean water heater.

Bundle It Up

Finally, bundle it up! If the sides of the storage tank are slightly warm to the touch, it is losing heat and wasting energy. In fact, standby heat loss is a major contributor to your hot water bill. Consider installing a jacket or blanket insulation wrap on the storage tank.

Further, insulate the inlet and outlet water pipes to the storage tank, and insulate all of the accessible hot water pipes in your home. Insulating your water heater and pipes may saves energy and increases hot water temperature.

For more water heater winterizing tips, contact the Central Florida HVAC and plumbing experts at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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