Small Maintenance Can Prevent Big Problems

Don't be fooled. Many innocent-looking home appliances can cause damage to your home if left unattended or go too long between regular maintenance checks. One such culprit capable of causing extensive damage... your hot water heater.

Insurance claims for leaking or ruptured water heaters run into the hundreds of millions of dollars every year. When water heaters are located in remote areas of a home, such as a basement, a leak could go undetected for days or weeks. In addition to the many gallons of water that may need to be cleaned up, damage to the flooring, walls and other surroundings can be severe and costly.

We're not surprised here at SERVPRO of West Columbia and Lexington by the number of calls we receive regarding hot water heaters. That type of appliance is usually installed and left alone. A homeowner often won't even notice a problem until the day the hot water goes out.

We are a national fire and water cleanup and restoration company trained in the cleanup and care of events such as a water leak in your home. An episode like this can be a huge burden on one person, but companies like ours have experience with these types of problems. We can get in there, cleanup the water and leave the homeowner with a sense of security they may not have had since before the leak happened.

Water heaters have a lifespan of 10-15 years, so the appearance of rust or wet spots on the floor around the unit may be a sign a replacement s in the near future. Some preventative measures? At least once a year, the tank on the hot water heater should be drained to remove sediment at the bottom of the tank. Water can be drained out by attaching a garden hose to the drain valve or by purchasing a small electric pump to send the water from your tank to an outside drain.

The pressure relief valve and the dip tube should be checked annually. Also, a faulty electric heating element is another part of a hot water heater that can result in inefficient output. This also involves draining the tank to replace the necessary heating parts. A reputable plumber should be able to handle all of these regular checks to help ensure that a home's hot water heater is in continual good working order.

At our office, we have working relationships with a variety of plumbers in the Great Columbia Area. While a homeowner would rather not have to be in a position to deal with issues surrounding a hot water heater leak, SERVPRO of West Columbia and Lexington is a franchise with the experience to get to the root of the problem and complete the job.

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Sandy Hayden