Owning tankless water heaters provide great benefits, including constant access to hot water, qualifying for the Mass Save Program, and getting an unsightly tank out of your Stoneham home basement. Yet, like all other heating systems in your Stoneham house, it’s essential to maintain them properly. The good news is most tankless systems are very easy to maintain and require very little upkeep for the homeowner.
In Stoneham, Massachusetts, 128 Plumbing professionals provide comprehensive water heater installation, maintenance, and repair services. If you’re unsure how to maintain your heating systems or are having issues, call your 128 Plumbing Stoneham HVAC system repair technician today.
The following tips can help you maintain your tankless water heaters in Stoneham, but you should refer to the water heater manufacturer for specific information about the make and model you own or let our Stoneham heating and plumbing team manage the process for you.
Flushing Your Tankless Water Heaters in Stoneham
Flushing your tankless water heater is one of the few required maintenance steps for this type of hot water heating system. It can help improve its longevity and minimize repair needs over time.
Through regular use, most water heaters collect minerals within them. This can erode the interior walls of the tankless water heater, causing potential damage to your Stoneham tankless water heater if not properly maintained. One way to minimize this corrosion in Stoneham homes is to flush the tank every six months.
Follow these steps and any other recommendations by the manufacturer to flush your tankless water heater:
1. Turn Off the Power to Your Stoneham Water Heater
Before flushing the water out of the tankless system, you need to cut off the power to the water heater. Every tankless water heater has some power source. Most models are a type of electric water heater, which means you can unplug them or turn off the electrical breaker to the unit. If you have a gas water heater, shut off the main gas supply to the tankless water heater. Usually a shut-off valve is located next to the water heater’s tank.
2. Turn Off the Water Flowing to the Heating System
You can’t flush the water from the water heaters until you turn off the flow of water to the system. Most Stoneham water heaters have a valve nearby that controls the flow of water from your home into the tankless system. Most water heating systems have a blue valve that controls the inflow of cold water. Manipulate this valve to turn off the flow of water to your water heater. The red-labeled valve on the water heater represents the already-heated hot water that is heading to your hot water faucets in your house. Turn that off as well. There may also be an additional main valve
3. Drain the Water Heating System using the Purge Valves
Look for purge valves on the water heater that looks like a “T.” Remove the caps to help reduce water and air pressure build-up in the water heaters. Attach a hose line to each of these valves on the water heater. Connect the other side of the hoses to a sump pump that discharges the water, a basement drain, or bucket. Then, open the port valves on the water heater.
4. Flush and Drain the Water Heater
The water streams from the port valves of the water heater at this point. Allow the water to drain for about 45 minutes before closing the port valves by turning the “T” handles on the water heating system. Remove the hosing lines from each of the water valves. Place the port caps back in place on the heating system.
5. Check With Your Water Heater Manual for Restart Instructions
Since every tankless water heater in Stoneham may be a bit different, turn to your water heating system owner’s manual to determine the proper way to restart the water heater. If at any time you struggle with completing any of the above steps, contact our team at 128 Plumbing. Our repair technicians are experienced with flushing all types of tankless water heaters and can quickly get the job done for you.
Other Maintenance Steps for Stoneham Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters may need additional steps to keep hot water moving through the heating system efficiently. Again, check with the owner’s manual for any heating system to ensure you follow the right steps for maintaining the tankless heating system. You can also turn to 128 Plumbing for help with all water heaters in Stoneham.
Vinegar Cleaning Tankless Water Heaters
During the process of draining the water heaters, you may add vinegar to the tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are likely to build up lime scale on them over time due to the presence of water running through them from Stoneham sources.
To add vinegar to the water heaters, simply pour 2 to 2 1/2 gallons of unaltered white vinegar into the tankless water heater during the draining process. This helps to remove some of the buildup in the Stoneham tankless water heaters.
Annual Maintenance of Tankless Water Heaters in Stoneham
In Stoneham, we recommend having water heaters and all types of heating systems inspected by a licensed professional annually. Heating systems can develop small problems over time, and with the help of our heating and plumbing specialists, we can spot these problems right away. For example, heating systems, such as tankless water heaters, can occasionally leak. Even though they’re tankless, these heating systems may acquire leaks that need to be appropriately repaired to ensure hot water continues to flow to your home.
Tankless water heaters also need the mechanical components in them that produce heat to work properly. Our heating and plumbing team inspects Stoneham tankless water heaters for any signs of damage to these mechanical components, including the gas line running to the tankless heating systems. We look for any signs of normal wear and tear on the heating elements.
Most often, tankless water systems are very efficient and easy to maintain. However, just having a look at each of the tankless systems in your Stoneham home every few weeks helps ensure you don’t develop problems with hot water access later. If you notice something that’s not right with your hot water heating system, contact a licensed professional, such as 128 Plumbing, right away.
Get Help in Stoneham from Our Tankless Hot Water Specialists
Our heating and plumbing team can help you with all your tankless hot water needs in your Stoneham home. Contact our licensed and certified heating and cooling team today for help with your tankless system, whether it’s an annual inspection or a necessary repair to your hot water heating systems.
