5 Hot Water Tips

Hot Water Problems?

Most of us don’t give much thought to our hot water, especially when there aren’t any problems. Following some hot water tips to maintaining your water heater, while it may not seem important, can make a massive difference to your energy bill and the longevity of your hot water system.

We’re giving you some insight into getting the most out of your hot water system to avoid losing your hot water unit early to poor handling and neglect. Hopefully, we’ll be able to reduce your bill and save you from needing to buy a new water heater anytime soon.

5 Hot Water Maintenance Tips

1. Install Heat Traps

Adding heat traps to your gas or electric water heater is an effective way to get the most out of it without wasting heating. Heat traps are elements installed on the cold water inlet and hot water pipes and work to prevent heat loss inside the tank by taking advantage of thermal convection. These devices lessen thermo-siphoning inside the storage tank when the flow of water stops by trapping hot water with the added U-shaped loop in the pipeline when unwanted convection causes the hot water to move out of the tank.

2. Flush Out Sediment

With any water heater, it’s normal for sediment to occur inside the tank. Community water naturally has minerals present which doesn’t dissolve and instead accumulate at the bottom of your tank. When your water heater hasn’t been flushed in quite some time, a layer of sediment coats the heating element and makes it difficult for the element to heat the water normally. As a result, more electrical energy is needed to heat the tank, and your utility bill will reflect as such.

If you have an electric hot water system, regularly flush the water heater as they are most affected by sediment build-up. By draining the tank every couple of months, you’ll be cutting down on your overall energy usage and saving money on your energy bills by requiring less electricity to power your heating element. If you haven’t had your hot water system flushed recently, call us at Atomic Hot Water at 1300 763 734 to have your tank in optimal condition.

3. Opt for Stainless Steel Tanks

Heat loss is inevitable when it comes to water stored in a tank. On average, hot water lasts for one to two days before losing heat; larger tanks lose heat much quicker. Most heat loss occurs when the water travels from the tank to the tap or showerhead as it cools down while it moves due to the surrounding air being colder than the water.

Opting to install a tank made of stainless steel over a standard mild steel tank is more effective at maintaining hot water temperature. Stainless steel tanks outcompete standard ones in terms of energy efficiency, durability, and performance because of their greater conductivity levels.

The reason for this comes down to the electrons in the material. Metals, like stainless steel, have better thermal conductivity because of their free-moving electrons, whereas plastic has little to none. In the presence of energy, in this case, heat, electrons vibrate more quickly and pass on heat more quickly by bumping into each other. At Atomic Hot Water, we recommend selecting a stainless steel water heater from top brands like Rheem or Aquamax for your hot water needs.

4. Have the system installed in the correct room

With cold air causing heat loss from your hot water tank to speed up, having your system installed in the right room is crucial to its longevity. It’s ideal to position the hot water system close to any main room hot water, either the bathroom, laundry, or kitchen. Placing your hot water system further away from your hot taps leads to higher bills with more energy required to heat the water for longer to ensure hot water reaches the tap. Alternatively, if you can’t place your hot water system in rooms nearest your hot water taps, we recommend installing it in a space where you can control the temperature.

5. Schedule regular maintenance

Scheduling regular maintenance inspections at least once a year can prevent the more considerable expense of replacing your hot water system prematurely. As a homeowner with a hot water system, you’re aware of the initial signs to look out for, whether it be visible damage, increased noise levels, or diminished hot water performance. Maintenance inspections cover all these areas as well as those you can’t identify, like internal rusting, sediment buildup, and improper valve or electrical functioning, which allows more severe problems to be caught early and rectified.

If you want to go the extra mile to ensure the system performs excellently, you can schedule maintenance services bi-annually or every time the season changes. Households with more than four members, or those who frequently use hot water, need bi-annual or seasonal services.

Liked our hot water tips? Book a maintenance inspection with us today to start getting the most out of your hot water system. You can also call us at 02 9716 0252 to ask questions about our hot water services. At Atomic Hot Water Repairs, we cover every aspect of hot water system services, from installation to repair, replacement, and maintenance. We can also service all types of water heaters.