Whether you’re washing your hands, taking a shower or cleaning dishes in the sink, you need access to hot water throughout your Santa Rosa, Ca home. Unfortunately, you can’t get that hot water if you don’t have a water heater that’s in good shape. Water heaters aren’t made to last forever, especially without proper water heater repair and maintenance every once in a while. If you’ve got an older water heater or a lack of hot water in your home, here’s what you need to know about how long a water heater is expected to last and what you can do to help that.

Water Heater Life Expectancy

Most of the fixtures and appliances in your Santa Rosa, Ca, home have somewhat of a life expectancy; while they can last longer than this life expectancy, they don’t in the majority of cases. This is an important thing to keep in mind when it comes to how often you should replace the fixtures in your home.

While repair can extend the life of a water heater by a bit, the average life expectancy of a water heater is about 8 to 12 years. You can find an exact recommendation from your water heater manufacturer, but if you’ve got a water heater that’s 12 or 15 years old, now is a good time to replace it.

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to water heater life expectancy is that it depends on the location of your unit, the frequency of water heater repairs and maintenance and the water quality in your home. Ultimately, the number you get from your manufacturer is more of a general guideline.

Water Heater Maintenance

As is the case with most things in life, taking care of your water heater is the best way to ensure it lasts a long time. As a general rule, you should have your water heater maintained by a professional at least once every six months, although you may need to do it more often depending on your water quality.

The biggest thing you can do to avoid hefty repair bills is flush your tank on a somewhat regular basis. Most homeowners can get away with flushing their water heater once every six months or so, but you may have to do it more frequently if you’ve got particularly hard water.

Hard water is water that has a lot of minerals in it, which can cause a mineral buildup in appliances and fixtures throughout your home. If you’ve got a big problem with hard water that’s shortening the life of your fixtures, the best thing you can do is invest in a water softener. You can get a water softening system for your entire Santa Rosa, Ca, home that removes minerals from your water and makes it easier on fixtures. This may be a smart investment when compared to the cost of water heater repair and spending thousands to replace fixtures and appliances prematurely.

Call Maples Plumbing and Heating Today 707-359-1597