Tank water heaters are probably what one is most familiar with when they mention these systems. They’re large, noticeable, and oftentimes can be a bit noisy. This is the traditional water heater model found in most homes, so many people realize that they need maintenance from time to time.
Scaling is something that occurs in these systems and allows for a mineral buildup that clangs around noisily. This can actually hurt the system—casing problems with pressure, temperature, and potentially even corrosion. Tank water heaters need flushing on occasion to offset all this.
Scheduling regular maintenance
With this knowledge, one may be tempted to switch to a tankless model, and this is certainly worth the consideration. Tankless water heaters are highly efficient, work ‘on-demand’ rather than storing hot water and risking standby energy loss, plus they save space! But, guess what? They need maintenance too.
Scaling affects tankless water heaters too, not just tank systems. In fact, scaling can lead to a premature breakdown of this system if one doesn’t schedule regular maintenance so it can get checked out by a pro. Scaling happens when there’s hard water consistently going through the water heater. Hard water is water that has a high level of minerals in it—namely calcium, magnesium, and sometimes even iron. These mineral deposits are absolutely harmless to ingest. However, if they’re left behind in appliances or pipes, they typically call that ‘scaling.’
Tankless water heater
For some tankless water heaters, annual maintenance is essential to keeping the system running smoothly
Scaling impacts the heat exchanger of the tankless water heater. As one might realize, the heat exchanger is what heats up the water in the first place. It needs to be clean, so that the water can effectively and efficiently be heated. Scaling can make the burners work harder, or can overwork a tankless water heater to the point that it breaks down.
For some tankless water heaters, annual maintenance is essential to keeping the system running smoothly throughout its lifespan. For others, maintenance can afford to wait a year or two longer. This timeframe depends on how hard the water is in one’s area, and if they’re currently doing anything to treat it. The installation of a whole-house water softener, for instance, may be the answer to the hard water troubles.
Water heater systems
Tankless water heater should still be checked regularly by a pro, but one may not need to worry about scaling so much if they have a whole-house water softener in place. Remember, even if they have tankless system maintained on a regular basis, the system won’t last forever. Eventually, they’ll need to replace the system with a new one. The good news is, most tankless water heater systems last 20 years or more!
If the tankless water heater starts failing before this point, it could be from lack of professional water heater maintenance. Keeping up with this service is the only way to ensure the system lives out its full term.
