Household water heaters require attention to safety during purchase, installation, and use. Choosing the right type of water heater, setting it to the right temperature and proper maintenance is crucial to keeping you and your family safe. Below are a few tips that Hoover Electric Plumbing Heating Cooling recommends running and purchasing a water heater from a local Plumber.
Install the appropriate size of a heater for your home. Carefully consider the type of heater to buy, whether electric, gas or other. Gas heaters are more efficient, but safety considerations such as venting and the pilot flame need to be considered before your purchase. Call Hoover @ [company-phone id=1] or visit our web hooverelectric.com to schedule an appointment for a trained certified plumber to go over the options that work best for your home in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties.
Gas Water Heaters
Install carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas water heater. Newer models are engineered to prevent the pilot light from having contact with vapors that can ignite. The gas models featuring this characteristic hold 30, 40, or 50 gallons. Hoover recommends installing Bradford White for gas water heaters.
Venting
Gas water heaters should have direct venting systems. These closed systems bring in required ventilation air and remove toxic fumes. Venting is one of the most important installation steps, a licensed plumber or mechanical contractor will know the best solutions for venting your new gas water heater.
Electric Water Heaters
Electric water heaters don’t have the carbon monoxide risk as gas water heaters do but there still are some safety hazards to consider. Electric water heaters must be installed by a professional that is experienced in electrical repairs and installations preferably and electrician. The water heater circuit must be sized correctly and installed to your current local building codes. Electric water heaters do not have a flame to heat the water there is a heater element that causes resistance which in turn produces heat. If the circuit is not sized properly this can cause the heater to not run efficiently or possibly cause an electrical fire. The circuit must also be fused properly, just because your old heater is electric does not mean the new electric heater’s circuit size will be the same. You will need a licensed insured electrician to install or inspect your electric circuit to your new water heater. Call Hoover @ [company-phone id=1] or visit us at, hooverelectric.com to schedule an electrician to inspect your water heater circuit. Hoover recommends installing Bradford White for electric water heaters.
Maintenance
Have a licensed professional inspect and clean your water heater annually. When a water heater’s interior is kept clean, sediment is not allowed to accumulate. Such accumulation could cause the tank to fail early in its life. Annual maintenance also keeps the water heater running efficiently. Call Hoover Electric, Plumbing Heating, and Cooling to service your Troy, MI water heater today! [company-phone id=1] , or HooverElectric.com