Maintenance Requirements for Tankless Water Heaters near The Woodlands, TXThere’s a rumor circulating that tankless water heaters don’t need maintenance.

Many homeowners think mineral deposits and scaling won’t damage a tankless water heater. Scaling and mineral deposits can affect all heat exchangers. Your tankless connectors and pipes can suffer damage from hard water, too. For some water heaters, “annual maintenance is absolutely vital for keeping the system running smoothly throughout its whole lifespan,” says Admiral.

Basic Maintenance for your Tankless System

Tankless water heaters need to be flushed and drained every year.

Here is a 12 step checklist for basic tankless water heater maintenance:

  1. Turn off the power – Turn off the electricity source and/or the main gas line.
  2. Close/turn off water valves attached to your water heater – This step is very important to prevent injury.
  3. Remove the port valve caps – Do this step slowly and carefully to avoid injury. Handle the caps carefully. You don’t want to be burned by hot steam or lose the rubber washers inside the caps.
  4. Attach hosing lines to the port valves – These can be purchased from many retail/plumbing stores. You may need to use a sump pump, then flush the unit by connecting with cold/hot water valves.
  5. Open port valves.
  6. Use approximately 2.5 gallons of undiluted white vinegar to clean your unit. Chemical cleaners can contaminate your drinking water and cause serious illness.
  7. Follower manufacturer’s instructions for flushing and draining.
  8. Close the purge port valves.
  9. Disconnect and remove hosing lines.
  10. Replace purge port valves caps.
  11. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to restart.
  12. Turn on hot water tap to allow air to pass through the pipes.

We Recommend Tankless Water Heaters

If you still have a traditional water heater, you know it’s big, noticeable, and sometimes noisy. Depending on your water and prior maintenance, it may need as many as 2 maintenance visits each year. It could be more energy-costs efficient, too.

But when it’s time to replace it, call Bradbury Brothers Cooling, Heating, & Plumbing, 281-661-4283 or 936-756-5472. We would like to share the advantages of tankless water heaters.