Tankless Water Heater Maintenance Tips
Tankless water heaters are becoming increasingly more popular among homeowners. Tankless water heaters offer a wide assortment of benefits from unlimited hot water to lower energy bills. In addition, they are much easier to maintain than the conventional tank water heater.
Compared to tank units, tankless water heaters do not require as much maintenance or replacement components. However, this does not mean that you can forget about the appliance once it is installed and being used. To ensure that your unit performs to its fullest potential for as long as possible, you will need to perform a few basic maintenance tasks.
Clean/Replace the Water Line Filter
A number of tankless water heaters come equipped with a water line filter that aids in the protection against hard water, sediment, and scale. Contaminants like these can accumulate and have a negative impact on your water heater. In addition, they can move through the rest of your household plumbing, such as pipes and appliances.
There are several different types of filters. Some filters can be cleaned and used again, whereas other filters must be replaced. The manual that came with your water heater should provide more information as to the type of filter that your specific unit requires. If there is not a built-in water filter in your system, then you can install one to protect your plumbing and help improve the overall water quality in your home.
Clean the Air Filter
There are some tankless water heaters that are powered by natural gas that come equipped with a filter between the fan and air intake pipe. This filter gets clogged with dirt, debris, insects, etc. over time that can cause a disruption in the airflow. The good news is that it is easy to clean the filter. Usually, you just need to take out several screws, remove the filter, rinse and dry it, and then place it back in.
Descaling and Flushing the Water Heater
Things get more complicated in the maintenance department with tankless units when you need to descale and flush the unit out. Regardless of the inline water filter, it is still possible for calcium and lime deposits to accumulate within the tankless unit. Ideally, you should perform this maintenance once a year if you have hard water. However, if you have a water softener system or have soft water in the home, then this task can be done every few years.
In order to get rid of the scale, a special descaling solution can be used, or you can just use plain white vinegar. A submersible pump will be necessary to cycle the solution through the water heater for about an hour. Once the descaling process has been completed, you need to flush the water heater with fresh water. This can be done by connecting your outside water hose to the hot water valve.
For more information, contact a tankless water heater maintenance company in your area.