Parts of Your Water Heater | San Antonio, TX
Photo By JulNichols at istock
Have you ever wondered what’s in your water heater? Or want to try to help the person on the other end of the phone when you call for water heater repair? Well sometimes you just need a basic overview of what they are made of, so you don’t have to worry about leaving San Antonio, TX because your house isn’t able to be occupied for a time. Your water heater is a critical component to making your home a good place to live and calling for water heater repair is never something you really want to do but sometimes you don’t have a choice
The Big Piece
Usually when you hear about someone who’s water heater tank “blew” it’s because of the big piece, the actual tank springing a leak. Water heater repair businesses get these calls all the time. The tanks are the central piece of unit but are not just a solid cylinder inside your unit. The tank has a baseline level somewhere above the heating element and has a few pieces running through it including the cold-water feed line that will go to almost the bottom of the tank along with the hot water feed line that will stop further up the tank. The locations are important because as water heats up it rises so it can’t be too low or you’ll get cooler water but it can’t be too high because it won’t fully utilize your tanks capacity plus it would increase your likelihood of getting straight cold water as that feeds into the tank.
Heating Up the Goods
When you need water heater repair the person on the phone may ask what kind of tank it is. That doesn’t mean color or size usually but it’s heating type. Traditional tanks are either gas or electrically heated, tankless water heaters can also be gas or electric as well but we’re focusing more on more traditional heaters. In a gas water heater, there is a flue stack for gas exhaust to flow out of your house to keep you safe. On the bottom of the tank is also a big gas burner, much like you’d see on a gas range. In an electric water heater, there will be less dead space on the bottom of your tank, meaning that these will generally be a little smaller. that is because there are a series of elements inside the tank that will heat the water but are protected so they don’t electrify the water. Either method is controlled by a box, or series of boxes, on the outside of the water heater to determine the temperature of the water in your water heater.
Keeping It Under Control
Not surprisingly there is a bunch of insulation between the outside shell and the actual tank of the water heater. In warmer climates like in San Antonio, TX you won’t see water heater wraps but any water heater repair professional who has worked in frigid climates has likely seen them. The insulation of your water tank helps keep the water inside warm without you having to spend more money on your bill because of the excess energy that would have been required to keep the unit running longer. If you notice that there is water dripping from that odd pipe on the outside of your water tank, then something isn’t right. If you follow that to the top the little mechanism it is attached to is called a temperature and pressure relief valve. If you see that happening calling for water heater repair should happen immediately. These should not be opened without a professional around but not taking care of it may be expensive to correct. If the plumber person decides to activate this piece, they’ll probably also hook up the drainpipe near the bottom of the tank, meaning it’ll empty the whole tank and you’ll have to wait all over again to fill it up.
Clean Water Keeps You Happy
Some people may have never thought that all that water could over time get kind of gross. Any water heater repair person will have stories about some bad water tanks, but you wouldn’t see it yourself because the tank is working properly. Your hot water access still pulls sanitary water out of the tank but over time sediment or corrosion from your pipes will likely get into the tank with nowhere to escape. There are two critical parts that are set to keep your usable water clean. The first is the location of the hot water pipe, as it will keep the heavier clumps of sediment that may materialize on the bottom of the tank.
The other piece is something called the anode rod. The anode rod is made of steel core that is covered in a wire of a different metal that will be designated on the packaging of your water heater. There are three kinds of metals that are used, aluminum that is better for hard water, magnesium which gets the job done not as well but is cheaper, and zinc which is better for odor fighting. These rods can actually be replaced by your water heater repair professional so make sure you are consulting them to what the best course of action is.
This is just an overview of the major components of your traditional hot water heater. Your water heater repair specialist will be able to assist you and, in the San Antonio, TX area you should consider bluefrog Plumbing + Drain for all of your plumbing needs. bluefrog Plumbing + Drain can do a ton of services for you from things as small as drain cleaning and water heater repair all the way up to sewer and water line repair and replacement and gas line repair and replacement. They have technicians available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week meaning you don’t have to wait for service, and they will only be a short time away from fixing whatever ails your pipes.
Priority Service