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Tankless Water Heater Repair: Descaling Your Tankless Water Heater | San Antonio, TX
Water heater tanks are a prominent presence in many San Antonio, TX homes. They are large, visible, and often a bit loud. Water heaters with tanks are the most common method of heating water found in Texan homes. They’re easy to see and hear, so you’re more likely to remember to service them from time to time to prevent them from falling into disrepair.
What about tankless water heaters though? Although they are less prominent and quieter than traditional tank water heaters, we strongly advise you to not forget about them. Otherwise, you may find yourself suddenly in need of a tankless water heater repair service. Many homeowners are unaware that tankless water heaters also require maintenance. They require regular scaling, which is a process also undertaken during tank water heater maintenance.
What Is Tankless Water Heater Descaling?
San Antonio is known for having some of the hardest water in Texas and across America. Water that makes its way to San Antonio homes comes from the largest water source in the area, the Edwards Aquifer, which is full of limestone. Limestone is notorious for leaving dissolved minerals, such as magnesium, in water. While this doesn’t affect the safety of the drinking water and it doesn’t directly affect many plumbing appliances, a mineral build-up can cause major issues in all types of water heaters.
Minerals can flow freely through tankless water heaters. Sometimes, the minerals will settle to the bottom of the tank and remain there. This happens slowly, so you won’t notice an immediate drop in performance. However, after a year of no service, you may notice a drop in water pressure or problems getting hot water to your taps in comparison to previous years. You can resolve these issues through a tankless water heater repair service. If low water pressure or lack of hot water is a prominent issue, it’s possible to arrange emergency water heater repair. Repairs will often include water heater descaling. Descaling is the name given to the removal of minerals that have settled on internal components.
Scaling can cause heat exchanger problems in your tankless water heater. The heat exchanger is the component that heats water on demand in a tankless setup. To heat water efficiently, the heat exchanger must be kept clean. Scaling can cause the burners to work harder or overwork a tankless heater until it stops working, leaving you without a supply of hot water.
Scaling has a significant impact on water heaters. Whether a heating system is tankless or not, system failure can easily occur if the build-up of magnesium and calcium is not removed through a descaling service. This is the worst that can happen if routine maintenance is not scheduled. To avoid sudden tankless water heater repair, you can arrange for regular descaling services.
“How Often Do I Need To Schedule Descaling?”
It all depends. For some homes, tankless water heaters should be maintained once per year to maintain their efficiency throughout their entire lifespan. Others can survive longer. More active heaters will require maintenance sooner.
If you’re unsure when to book a descaling, you can ask a professional plumber for advice. Before undertaking a descaling, plumbers will test the water hardness. Water hardness will play a role in how often its recommended to perform descaling, and water hardness can vary between locations.
If you see a build-up of yellow or chalky residue around drains and faucets, then you likely have hard water. This means that your tankless water heater may be at risk of requiring a tankless water heater repair service if descaling doesn’t occur.
When Maintenance Is No Longer Possible
It is necessary to keep in mind that a tankless water heater will not last forever, no matter how well maintained. Tankless water heaters last approximately two decades.
Neglecting professional maintenance can cause your system to fail sooner than expected. It is crucial to keep up with your maintenance appointments to extend the life of your heating system. Talk to a technician to find out the current state of your tankless system. Follow professional advice about when to maintain and when to replace. Plumbers in San Antonio, TX have specialist training and often years of experience handling water heating issues and undertaking tankless water heater repair tasks. In part, this is due to the hardness of the water in the area and the specialized attention this often needs when it comes to maintaining plumbing systems.
You probably think of flushing the tank when you think about possible water heater maintenance tasks. This is the most popular type of water heater maintenance. However, a tankless water heater obviously doesn’t have one, and this leads many to believe that tankless water heaters aren’t subject to maintenance since they don’t need a tank. Maintenance is always required. In San Antonio, TX, tankless water heater descaling is a necessary service.
Our plumbers are available to help you if you need someone to provide you with everything from maintenance inspections to tankless water heater repair.
Always Choose Professional Tankless Water Heater Services
With the power of the internet, you can quickly search for and find a multitude of information on how to descale a water heater or undertake your own tankless water heater repair job. However, doing it yourself is a mistake that can cause damage to your water heater. With a professional plumber at your service, you can be sure the job will be done correctly on the first try.
There are many advantages to booking a descaling service. Successful tankless heater descaling will lower your water bills, improve the efficiency of your tankless heater, and extend its life expectancy. With proper maintenance, including descaling, a tankless water heater can last up to 20 years without needing any complex tankless water heater repair services. This lifespan is not guaranteed, however. A team of professionals is necessary to maximize the potential of your tankless water heater.
To invest correctly in tankless water heater repair and associated water heater maintenance and repair services, contact our team of plumbers at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio.