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TV Plumbing provides water heater installation and maintenance services, using only the best water heaters. You won't find superior products anywhere on the planet. When you find products this good, you stick with them.

Why Water Heaters Fail

Simply put, rusting is what makes steel tanks leak and require replacement. There are a number of factors which contribute to the rusting of water heaters. Proper installation, maintenance and adjustment will almost completely eliminate these factors.

Depleted Anodes -The inside of your tank is protected only as long as the anode rod has sufficient sacrificial metal remaining on its steel wire core. Inspect the rod periodically and replace it when needed. Without a functioning anode in your tank, any other measures are just wasted energy.

Electrolysis - Just as magnesium anode rods corrode (purposely) in the presence of steel, steel will rust (to the detriment of your tank) when it's near to copper or brass. The more of these metals there are, the more the steel tank will rust. Water heater connections such as hot, cold and recirculation loop lines are often made of copper or brass. When they are joined directly to the tank, excessive rusting occurs at the connections, restricting water flow and weakening the steel. Dielectric unions and plastic lined steel nipples have been developed to reduce this electrolytic corrosion.

Sediment Build-Up - Heat forces minerals to come out of solution, forming solids which settle on the bottom of your tank. This sediment is mostly calcium carbonate. The harder the water, the more sediment you can expect. When sediment accumulates in a gas heater, it forms a barrier between the water and the flame, slowing heat transfer. The subsequent overheating of the tank bottom can cause two problems. First, the glass lining starts dissolving at temperatures above 160 degrees, so over time, the steel tank bottom is gradually exposed to water and potential rusting. Second, severe overheating can weaken the metal bottom to the point of deforming under normal pressure. (Temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees have been measured at the bottom of severely scaled tanks)! Sediment causes additional problems. In both gas and electric heaters, a dense sediment layer can insulate the tank bottom from the protection of the anode rod. The sediment can also play host to bacteria. Most of these are not harmful to our health, but they make the environment in the sediment more corrosive, and the steel is under harsher attack than with heat and sediment alone.

External Environment - Don't overlook your tank's surroundings. If the air burned in a gas heater is damp or carries salt, chlorine, or other corrosive chemicals, it will attack the tank from inside the flue and combustion chamber. It may even void the warranty. Keep your heaters dry. Many tanks have failed because a plumbing fitting (either on the tank itself or overhead) leaked and rusted through the drain tank externally. Troublemakers include the drain valve, heating elements, and hot and cold connections. Even a loose packing nut on an overhead shut-off valve may leak and ruin a water heater.

If you are looking for water heater maintenance or installation in Los Angeles County, please call us today at 866-889-7363 or click on the button below to complete our online request form: