Water heaters have lifespans of 6 to 12 years, but that can be shortened significantly without proper maintenance. One of the things that a homeowner should do annually is flush the sediment out of the tank. If you have home warranty coverage protecting your water heater (and the other systems and appliances in your home.) this maintenance is extra important. If you have home warranty coverage and maintain your water heater, when it breaks down from normal wear and tear, it will be covered.
Why Flush your Water Heater?
A water heater functions by bringing cold water into the tank, heating it with a gas burner and chimney or electric heating element and, as the heated water rises to the top of the tank, the heat-out tube takes it throughout the home. Sometimes the cold water that is brought into the tank contains sediment, which settles on the bottom of the tank. If more and more sediment settles on the bottom, it can cause a number of problems for the homeowner.
First, a build-up of sediment can create a barrier between the heating elements and the water it needs to be heating. It is a lot harder to heat water through a chunk of sand than it is to heat water that is right next to the extremely hot metal of the chimney. This sediment can solidify and completely ruin a water heater. However, if you have the premier plus home warranty coverage from Landmark, this will be repaired or replaced for $60.
Another problem that water heaters face is that the more sediment that is brought into the tank, the more likely the sediment is going to be disturbed and possibly taken into the heat-out tube, which can clog pipes, as well as shower heads and faucets. (These are also covered under Landmark’s premier plus home warranty coverage)
Flushing a water heater can extend your tank’s lifetime and doing so can increase your water heater’s efficiency by 50%. (That’s a lot of savings on your utility bills!)
Landmark provides home warranty coverage, and one of the top claims that we see is sediment damage in a water heater. Even worse, most standard home warranty coverage doesn’t cover sediment damage because it is seen as lack of maintenance. (As stated before, Landmark’s home warranty coverage with Premier Plus does cover sediment damage.) Maintenance is an excellent way to extend your water heater’s life and save a lot of money in the process. So how exactly do you flush your water heater? You can see our ste-by-step directions in our next post: How to Flush your Water Heater.
If you want to learn more about what Landmark’s home warranty plans cover go here.