Your water pressure and temperature are both key factors in your home comfort. It's crucial to take great care of every part of your plumbing system, especially your water heater! Since water heaters can be such a large investment, you want to keep yours in great shape for several years to come. According to Home Depot, if you properly maintain your tank, you can have it last as long as 12 years. Do you want to extend the life of your tank water heater? Here are three helpful tips to get you started.

1. Invest in Professional Maintenance

The best thing to do for your tank is to have a trained eye look at it each year. Your plumbing contractor will examine it, check the readings, and make sure that there's no dangerous corrosion going on inside your tank. If there are any signs or issues, they will catch it early on and fix it, ensuring that you save money down the road.

2. Check the Anode Rod

The anode rod is a metal rod in your water heater that is specifically designed to attract corrosive elements. It keeps these materials from getting into the water itself. You should check it each year and install a new one if it's in really bad shape. Your plumbing professional will be able to do this quickly and efficiently.

3. Consider a Water Softener

It's no secret that water hardness changes depending on your location. There are some states that have soft water and others that have hard water. Soft water only has some sodium in it, while hard water has minerals in it. Putting in a water softener may reduce the chance of these minerals getting into the heater and corroding it. Be sure to ask your plumber if they would recommend this change to lengthen the life of your water heater.

When it comes to tank water heaters, it's important that you be proactive with your repairs and maintenance. If you don't invest in regular service, you risk having something happen out of the blue, putting your access to warm water in jeopardy. You'll find that it's well worth it to consider the above three tips to keep that from happening. Are you looking for a licensed professional to do water heater repair or maintenance? Our team at FCS Mechanical is here to help. Contact us today to learn more!