Home insurance resources
Your water heater may remain unseen, hidden in a utility closet or sitting alone in a basement, but keep in mind that it needs regular maintenance for safety reasons. Make sure yours is safe, by getting to know its parts and learning some important facts.
Most residential tanks hold 40 to 60 gallons and need to withstand the pressure of a residential water system (typically 50 to 100 psi.) Steel tanks are tested to handle 300 psi and have a bonded glass liner to keep rust out of the water, as well as insulation surrounding the tank. Other water heater parts include:
Temperature or pressure relief valves help prevent tanks from exploding if temperature or pressure exceeds safe limits. Unfortunately, residential valves can be prone to failure, so test this valve yearly by:
On residential tanks, the settings are normally warm, hot, very hot or something similar. There is so much variation on what these settings mean, but the right temperature is at least 120 degrees at the tap, which you can test with a meat or candy thermometer.
It is important to keep the temperature close to 120 degrees to kill germs and prevent children from being scaled. Compared to adults, babies and children have thinner skin that burns faster and at lower temperatures. It's a good idea to check the water temperature using your wrist or elbow every time you bathe a baby, toddler or young child. For more information about preventing burns and scalds to children visit Make Safe Happen.com.
When leaving for vacation, set the hot water heater temperature to its lowest setting. This saves money and reduces the risk of problems while you are away.
A poor draft can cause fumes and carbon monoxide to reenter the room instead of going outside. To maintain good ventilation make sure that:
Strapping your water heater is a good idea, even if you live outside an earthquake zone. This is particularly important for maintaining gas water heater safety. If your water heater were to fall over, it could sever the gas line and cause an explosion.
Keep safe by following these water heater recommendations:
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