We all love a warm shower, especially after a long day’s work. Nevertheless, when we come home and find the hot water system is not working, it becomes frustrating. Furthermore, if we are home late, then it only adds on to our worries because finding a plumber at that time is a task next to impossible. Since, like hot water systems are closed, which means that water regularly circulates through the pipes and into the boiler, you have no clue what to do about it. So, you have to wait till next morning to call a plumber home and get the issue fixed.

Now, isn’t that such a tiring task? Only if you had the hot water system in your home regularly maintained. This issue will never come up in the first place. Your hot water system, like any other fixed electrical appliance in your home, need a check-up by a professional plumber every six months. If you are worried that might cost you money, then imagine how much it would cost you to replace the entire system.

Hence, to save all the trouble, here are some steps you can follow regularly. This will ensure that your hot water system is maintained with a help of a plumber. So that, you can enjoy a warm relaxing bath whenever you please.

Steps to follow

1.  Stop the water supply

By turning off the water shutoff valve that goes into the heater before the plumber start the task.

2.  Turn off the power supply 

Prevent any risk of burning out the element of hot water system. If by any chance your hot water system is gas-powered, then ensure to turn off the valve on the gas supply line that runs to the tank.

3.  Cool it off

If you were using hot water system prior to carrying out maintenance work by plumber, then do not let plumber commence the work instantly. The water in hot water system might still be hot and the risk of burning high. The best practice is to let it cool off for a while, usually, overnight before you ask plumber to go ahead and drain it.

4.  Flush it

Once your hot water system has cooled down, the plumber will attach a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater and place the open end of the hosepipe in a bucket or into a floor drain. Further, alleviating the pressure on the hot water system by opening the hot water tap nearest to the water heater. After doing so he will open up the drain valve and allow water to flow out of the tank. This can take up some time if the water is full or very dirty.

5.  Open the water supply.

When all the dirty water is flushed, plumber will turn on the water supply to the tank, while still keeping the drain valve open. This will flush out all the remaining dirt and debris from the hot water tank. Plumber will keep doing this until the water runs clear and then turn off the water supply. He will remove the hose from the drain valve, lock it and turn on the water supply to the tank to refill it. Hence, you can safely turn the power on and start using your water heater.

Conclusion

Drain your hot water system, as a part of its regular maintenance. You can easily do this at home, as you read above. Regularly draining impurities out of your water heater will ensure its long life also preventing any malfunction from happening. If you do not properly maintain your water heater, it may cease to function altogether.