Water Heater Maintenance Tips
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The water heater is one of the most important domestic appliances in the homes of Langley, as it provides to constantly supply hot water necessary for daily domestic operations. For this, it is essential to make sure that it works properly and you need to clean it periodically inside it. Composition of the water heater The water heater can run on gas or electricity and can be instantaneous heating or storage . In the first case, the water is heated and made available immediately while in the second case you have to wait for the water to heat up and accumulate, in fact, in time before it can be used. The main structure of the water heater consists of a metal casing . At the base, there are fundamental elements for the operation of the appliance : the flange , the electrical resistance , the thermostat , the safety valve and the connection hoses . The flange is the part that closes and blocks the whole formed by the resistance, the thermostat and the other functional parts. The flange is held in place by screws or bolts and by a metal bracket placed between the moving part and the fixed part of the appliance. The resistance instead presents a form serpentine and has inside a copper part. This is crucial in the process of heating the water because when the water heater is running, heating up, it gives part of the heat to the surrounding liquid. The thermostat also performs a very important function, since it automatically adjusts the temperature: when the heat reaches the desired levels , the current disconnection is activated, which is instead activated again when the water falls below the minimum temperature threshold. The safety of the appliance depends on the valve a lot. In fact, if the temperature should rise without control, this opens automatically, allowing a sufficient amount of water to escape to lower the pressure . Otherwise, the water heater could become a real danger, even causing explosions. The flexible , finally, are the tubes that connect to the 'water heater plumbing. Checking and maintenance of the water heater As mentioned, regular maintenance of the water heater is essential to preserve its functionality. Given that at least every two years it is advisable to have the appliance checked by a specialized technician , indications that may show a malfunction of the water heater and that we can detect during its use are different. A strong noise inside the pipes while running hot water, for example, denotes a too high temperature. In this case, the thermostat must be checked and adjusted properly. If the water heater goes to gas instead you need to be very careful if you smell the fuel in the air. The exhaust pipeit may be clogged and therefore require careful checking and cleaning. In other cases, it could be the nozzle not working properly and needing to be repaired. In these situations, for greater safety, before the checks and the necessary maintenance it is advised to keep the water heater off and close the gas tap. However, one of the most common problems in a water heater is the presence of limescale , which can seriously compromise the efficiency of the appliance. A high amount of limestone slows the heating of the water generating a high consumption of energy and therefore also of salty bills. The parts that are most affected by limestone are the resistance and the thermostat. To clean these components it is obviously necessary to open the water heater. For this operation, it will first be necessary to completely disconnect the current and close the water in the house. Subsequently, the water contained in the water heater must be completely removed and the flange must be unscrewed. At this point, the thermostat wires will have to be disconnected , which will be pulled downwards, extracting the resistance. Now you can check how much lime is present both inside the appliance and on the surfaces of the heating element and the thermostat. To clean, you should use a cloth or a sponge, with which to rub gently, and a special anti-scale liquid. In the case where the resistance should present a very thick layer of limestone, it must necessarily be replaced. It is good practice to have the water heater checked at least every 2 years by a specialized technician . As for ordinary maintenance, you will need to pay attention to any signals or noises coming from the system. The water that flows noisily inside the pipes may be a too high temperature indicator and the consequent formation of water vapor; in this case it will be enough to intervene on the thermostat by lowering the temperature. If, on the other hand, gas smells are perceived, they may be blocked drainage pipes or blocked nozzles. In this case, in addition to ventilating the rooms well, it is necessary to contact an expert as soon as possible to repair the fault. How to save money with the water heater Especially when it comes to electric water heaters, the savings argument is extremely important. The electric water heater is in fact cheaper at the time of purchase and installation - in addition to being easy to use and maintain - but using the electric power for its operation will certainly be more expensive than its corresponding gas. But there are some small precautions that can allow us to heat the water at home by saving in the bill: - Choosing the right load capacity : evaluating the real needs is the first step to choose the most suitable load capacity; the higher this will be, the greater the costs will be. It is therefore a good idea to carefully evaluate our real needs to make the best choice for our home and for our portfolio. - Attention to where you install it : positioning the water heater in a well-insulated area and near the places of use will optimize the operation limiting the energy and heat expenditure that would occur if the system was placed close to cold walls or away from the shower. In this case the water would have to do a greater path, which would result in a greater heat loss - and therefore of energy. - Adjust the temperature correctly : the ideal would be 40 C in summer and 60 C in winter; setting the thermostat to higher temperatures would not be useful as the temperatures would be too high for the shower or the bathroom. - Install a timer : with a timer you can set the ignition of the water heater in advance of when we need hot water. Leave it on at all hours of the day and night would be useless and expensive, so better to have a timer! 
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