Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Yes, Tankless Water Heaters Need Maintenance Too

Water Heaters

Tank water heaters are probably what you’re most familiar with when we mention these systems. They’re large, noticeable, and oftentimes can be a bit noisy. This is the traditional water heater model found in most homes, so many people realize that they need maintenance from time to time.

Scaling is something that occurs in these systems and allows for a mineral buildup that clangs around noisily. This can actually hurt the system—casing problems with pressure, temperature, and potentially even corrosion. Tank water heaters need flushing on occasion to offset all this.

With this knowledge, you may be tempted to switch to a tankless model, and this is certainly worth your consideration. Tankless water heaters are highly efficient, work “on-demand” rather than storing hot water and risking standby energy loss, plus they save space! But, guess what? They need maintenance too.

Scaling Impacts Tankless Water Heaters

Scaling affects tankless water heaters too, not just tank systems. In fact, scaling can lead to a premature breakdown of this system if you don’t schedule regular maintenance so it can get checked out by a pro. Scaling happens when there’s hard water consistently going through your water heater.

Hard water is water that has a high level of minerals in it—namely calcium, magnesium, and sometimes even iron. These mineral deposits are absolutely harmless to ingest. However, if they’re left behind in appliances or pipes, we typically call that “scaling.”

Scaling impacts the heat exchanger of your tankless water heater. As you might realize, the heat exchanger is what heats up the water in the first place. You need it to be clean, so that the water can effectively and efficiently be heated. Scaling can make your burners work harder, or can overwork a tankless water heater to the point that it breaks down.

How Often Should You Schedule Maintenance?

For some tankless water heaters, annual maintenance is essential to keeping the system running smoothly throughout its lifespan. For others, maintenance can afford to wait a year or two longer. This timeframe depends on how hard the water is in your area, and if you’re currently doing anything to treat it.

The installation of a whole-house water softener, for instance, may be the answer to your hard water troubles. Your tankless water heater should still be checked regularly by a pro, but you may not need to worry about scaling so much if you have a whole-house water softener in place.

“When Does a Tankless Water Heater Need Replacing?”

Remember, even if you have your tankless system maintained on a regular basis, the system won’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll need to replace your system with a new one. The good news is, most tankless water heater systems last 20 years or more!

If your tankless water heater starts failing before this point, it could be from lack of professional water heater maintenance. Keeping up with this service is the only way to ensure your system lives out its full term.

Schedule your service for water heaters in Loveland, CO with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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