how to maintain tankless water heater

I am hoping to add this to my services. The way they work is to create a loop from the heater to your fixture. There you have it; a simple and straightforward guide on how to maintain your tankless water heater. Furthermore, be sure to isolate the water to the heater, using the valves located on the hot- and cold-water lines. Rheem tankless water heaters are more energy efficient than traditional water heaters. On the other hand, an electric tankless heater requires electricity. With tankless water heaters, you'll always experience fresh, clean water that's heated on demand as it passes through the unit. Why Is My Shower Cold? Rheem tankless water heaters also feature fewer parts, which makes it more reliable and less prone to leaks than a water heater with a tank. Allow air to pass through the water pipe by slowly turning on the hot water tap in the sink or shower. Here are the steps on how to descale a tankless water heater: Before you begin, set your temperature to 150°F and let hot water run through the heater for about a minute. There are three water valves which in most cases are color-labeled. Connect another pipe to the heater’s outlet and submerge its end into a bucket of descaling solution. Take the third pipe and connect it to the pump’s inlet, and submerge its end into the bucket. Instead of heating tanks of water in batches, a tankless water heater, or on-demand water heater, warms up water as it's needed.Depending on how many gallons of hot water your home uses per day, a tankless water heater can be 20 to 30 percent more efficient than a normal hot water heater. Note that this doesn’t mean the water heater needs to be on — just plugged in. This important part of tankless water heater maintenance should happen every six months to two years, depending on the hardness of your water. Connect the hoses to a sump pump that will flush and discharge water from your heater using the hot and cold water valves. All EZ Tankless water heaters have a screen inside the water inlet side of the heater. Use caution if you have used hot water immediately before performing this procedure because the water may be excessively hot when handling the purge port valves. These deposits might build up and clog the heating element thus reducing the efficiency of the water heater. Importantly, do know that there could be pressure when extracting the valve caps. Since your tankless water heater is most likely the source of all your drinking water and bathing water, using chemical cleaning solutions may be extremely harmful to your health. Secondly, Open the water taps to relieve water pressure. Your heat exchanger has cracked and needs to be replaced. The in-line screen filter should be checked periodically for debris and cleaned. Replacing just the part is less expensive (for parts), but I replaced the whole unit because the water had leaked onto the electronics, and who knows when that would cause another failure. Tankless water heaters are one way homeowners can save energy. So show your water heater some love by following a routine maintenance schedule that will keep it running for its 15-year expected lifetime, and perhaps beyond. Water heaters work hard for you, providing warm baths, clean clothes, and sparkling pots and pans. Approved. You can buy just that part, or replace the whole tankless heater. Tankless water heaters allow horizontal and vertical venting (through the roof). In return, this prevents hot water from gushing out and probably burning your skin. Regardless of what type of unit you’re using to supply your hot water, make sure you maintain it. 1. All you do is rotate both the hot and cold water valves such that they are positioned parallel to the main valve. This article has been viewed 199,790 times. After the flush and drain process is over, close the port valves by turn, the “T” handles. Over time, tankless water heater systems collect minerals that erode the inside walls of the heating chambers. However you choose to meet your home's hot water needs, you'll also want to protect the investment you've made in your water heater. Remove the tank’s lid. Water Capacity. Filtering even clean municipal water should be done. Therefore, ensure that the hot water valves are securely shut off first. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Handle each cap carefully to make sure the rubber washer sealing discs stay in place, which are needed for your valves to function properly. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Disconnect both the outlet and inlet pipes. The water heater also mixes the hot water it makes with cold water to give you the temperature you … Do not allow the heater tape to cross itself along the pipe. However, if your budget won’t allow you to spend on PVC pipes, there are short venting runs which are quite economical and still do the trick. The hosing lines must be long enough to reach between the water heater and your bucket. Tankless water heaters may need additional steps to keep hot water moving through the heating system efficiently. Do I need to do this even if I have a water softener? I have a handyman business and I now live in a 55-and-over community with a lot of tankless heaters, "The steps are very helpful. If you use a lot of hot water, around 86 gallons per day, tankless water heaters are only 8% to 14% more efficient since they are running more often. This procedure will prevent cold water from flowing into the water heater and prevent hot water from coming out during the cleaning process. Make sure you have closed off the water valves that supply the water heater. Tighten the caps completely and firmly without breaking the rubber sealing discs located inside the caps. The process of flushing the water heater is also known as descaling. You're cleaning baked on junk off the heating element more so than dirt or debris. Attach a hosing line to each valve. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. ), The Pros And Cons of a Tankless Water Heater, The Ultimate Guide To Lowering Your Winter Power Costs. Continuous use of hard water leaves mineral and lime deposits on the heating elements. After flushing a Rinnai tankless water heater with white vinegar, can I store and reuse the vinegar next time? Using special stainless steel pipes is important as they withstand any positive pressure created by the heating system. Lastly, open all water valves and turn the power ON. For example, a gas tankless water heater uses kerosene or propane to run smoothly. Best RV Tankless Water Heaters: Buyer’s Guide. Best Tankless Water Heaters & Brands of 2020, 5 Signs That A Tankless Water Heater Is Right For You. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Continue reading to learn how you can maintain your tankless water heater to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency. Otherwise, not only is your water heater’s longevity affected, but also your energy bill increases dramatically. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Maintain-a-Tankless-Water-Heater-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Maintain-a-Tankless-Water-Heater-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Maintain-a-Tankless-Water-Heater-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1623677-v4-728px-Maintain-a-Tankless-Water-Heater-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"