It’s no secret that tankless water heaters are highly efficient, and that’s one of the biggest reasons people have them in their homes.
But this efficiency doesn’t last forever. Lime scale buildup is almost guaranteed over time, and this buildup could cause serious harm to your system.
Thankfully, getting rid of it (and other basic maintenance) can be done carefully by any homeowner. We’re here to teach you how to do some basic water heater maintenance that will keep your tankless unit efficient for many years to come.
How Does My Tankless Water Heater Work?
Your tankless water heater pulls water in from the pipes connected to your house, typically cold water, and passes it through a heating element. This heating element, usually gas or electric, allows the water to come in hot whenever you need it. You don’t need to wait for your giant tank to fill up.
There are some downsides, however. First, the tankless water heater has a lower flow rate than one with a tank. Second, tankless heaters can sometimes be stretched to their limit when multiple hot water appliances are used at once.
As a result of the differences between the builds, the water heater maintenance necessary on these units is slightly different from that of units with large tanks.
Necessary Water Heater Maintenance
One of the key pieces of water heater maintenance that you’ll need to do on your tankless unit is to remove limescale buildup.
To do this, find your tankless unit’s owner’s manual and follow the precise cleaning instructions. If you don’t have the manual, you should be able to find an electronic copy of the manual online by simply Googling the name of the unit.
NOTE: Only ever use safe solvents like white vinegar to do this! The water will be touching your skin, and if you drink from the tap, you certainly do not want to be consuming chemicals!
Cleaning out the limescale buildup will vastly improve the efficiency of your unit over the coming years. It will also make sure water flow is not compromised. Most importantly, the limescale will not collect to the point where it causes damage to the tankless unit itself.
Other Water Heater Tips
- If you live in an area with hard water, use water softener. Water softener will make sure you don’t have to do maintenance nearly as often.
- Don’t run too many appliances using hot water at once. This keeps the water heater from overworking itself.
