Preventative Maintenance on Water Heaters
October 21, 2020 Bradford White
Maximizing Your Water Heater Install Revenue
Are you waiting for your customers’ water heaters to fail before you see that home as another source of income? Let us show you how you can get back into your customers’ homes annually to service their water heater and become their go-to plumbing expert. Plus, you can make some more income in the process!
Water heaters are arguably the most essential appliance in the home, yet homeowners often don’t schedule service for this high-demand appliance like they might their AC or furnace. You can change that.
Explain to your customers that a water heater, like any appliance, has a greater likelihood of lasting longer with regular preventative maintenance.
Maintenace Steps
Here are a few easy maintenance steps you can employ to keep those water heaters lasting longer:
- Anode Rods
- Check the anode rods on gas water heaters. The anode rod is a sacrificial part inside the tank with corrosive elements to attract aggressive minerals in the water. Those minerals are attracted to the anode instead of the steel tank. By checking and replacing a corroded anode, you will keep protecting the steel tank from corrosive minerals in the water.
- Draining the Tank
- Bradford White recommends, at minimum, complete annual draining of any water heater. Add this service to your preventative maintence agreement, and it will allow you to complete other services while the water heater drains. Or, pick up a Milwaukee 2771-20 Transfer Pump from your local Famous Supply branch to make tank drainage a breeze.
- Checking Water Pressure
- Checking your customers’ water pressures and ensuring they have a properly pressurized expansion tank is vital to water heater longevity. A thermal expansion tank help protect water heaters from everyday water pressure changes. However, the tank is useless if it isn’t dialed-in to the proper pressure.
- Gas Pressures for Natural Gas Product
- An annual service contract allows you to check the gas pressure at the meter and the water heater. Especially during the colder months that we are entering, gas pressure is vital to proper water heater operation. When natural gas demand increases in a neighborhood as furnaces start running, the water heater can often be affected due to lower pressures.
We’d be happy to set up an in-person or virtual training to help your team learn more preventative maintenance tips. If you are interested, just give our water heater experts a call at 800-362-8230.