Tankless Maintenance
Tankless Maintenance
Tankless water heaters are very much like furnaces, they have burners, sensors, heat exchangers and safety devices. I have seen first hand what 3 to 5 years can do to a heat exchanger without any maintenance. I would consider the following.
- Removing the flame sensor, inspecting and cleaning.
- Removing the burners, inspecting and cleaning.
- Inspecting and cleaning the heat exchangers.
- Removing and inspecting the flow sensor.
- Checking all safety devices.
- Flushing your heater.
Tankless minor checks
Tankless heaters have proven themselves to be highly reliable over the years, requiring little maintenance or repairs. Most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. They also have easily replaceable parts that extend their life by many more years. In contrast, storage water heaters last 10–15 years. Periodic maintenance can significantly extend your water heater’s life and minimize loss of efficiency. Here are a few minor service requirements that should be performed at least once a year to insure trouble-free performance.
- Cleaning the inlet filter is a must. (Clogged or partial clogged filters will lead to flow issues)
- Checking the combustion air or ventilation.
- Checking the vent for blockage.
- Checking the inlet gas pressure.
- Checking for proper sequence of operation.
Why Flush Your Tankless?
Water scale deposits are a significant cause of heat transfer loss, along with the subsequent increase in energy costs. In fact, even a thin layer of scale (1/32″) can cause a 30% increase in the cost to operate that piece of equipment. Keeping the heating passages free of mineral deposits significantly improves efficiency, conserves energy, extends the useful life of the equipment, and saves you time & money.
Whitlam Flow-Aide Descaler.
There are so many flushing products coming out onto the market its hard to keep up, but I can tell you that Flow-Aide manufactured by J.C Whitlam is a superior product. FLOW AIDE System Descaler quickly dissolves water scale, lime, rust, and other water formed deposits, restoring 100% efficiency to your tankless heater. Flow Aide System Descaler is a non-toxic concentrate which is certified to NSF/ANSI 60 for use as a cleaner in potable water systems.
This heat exchanger is less that 3 years old, if periodic maintenance would have been performed this would have been caught the first year, saving the customer in labor costs for replacement, fortunately the manufacture covered the cost of the tankless exchanger.
Flushing out a tankless
Tankless flush kit installed