How to Extend the Life of a Water Heater

A water heater is one of the most expensive and important appliances in your house. A standard model will last somewhere between 8 to 12 years. Follow these simple steps to extend the life of your water heater. It is not unheard of for a properly maintained water heater to last 15 years or more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bucket
• Water Softener
• Anode Rod
• PRV

1. 
    

   Clean out your tank once or twice a year. Use a bucket to drain out a few gallons from the bottom of the water heater. Sediment build-up can affect the performance of the appliance and shorten its life span. Some newer models automatically clean themselves.

2. Install a water softener. Depending on where you live, it may be beneficial to "soften" your water. Hard water does damage to appliances by leaving mineral deposits where it has been. A good water softener will cost upwards of $400USD.

3. 
    

   Install an additional anode rod in the tank. The rod is a sacrifice of sorts - it will become corroded over time rather than your tank. Anode rods can be purchased for around $15USD.

4. Install a PRV [Pressure Regulating Valve]. Doing so will reduce system pressure and ease the stress on not only your water heater, but other appliances as well. A PRV costs about $35USD.

Resources

• Anode Rod on Amazon.com
• Morton Water Softener on Amazon.com
• PRV on Amazon.com