Tankless water heaters provide a lot of benefits, from lowering your monthly energy bills to taking up less space in the garage or basement. While they are long-lasting and reliable, tankless water heaters also need routine cleaning and maintenance, just like any other hot water system.

Remove Limescale Buildup

While a tankless water heater is relatively low maintenance, especially when compared to other types of water heaters, there is still some cleaning you need to do. The biggest type of cleaning will be removing limescale buildup. This happens over time, though the speed might depend on how much water you are using and how old the unit is. You can either use white distilled vinegar or a chemical agent to remove limescale buildup. Make sure the power source for the water heater is turned off before you clean it and that you flush and drain it at the same time. Do this on a routine basis or however often your plumber recommends.

Know the Signs of Requiring Maintenance

Aside from cleaning it or making minor repairs, you need to know when the unit is in need of maintenance. It is not uncommon to forget about maintaining your water heater routinely, which is why noticing the signs of disrepair comes in handy. For example, if you have noticed that while it used to be extremely quiet, you can now hear loud noises coming from the water heater whenever you turn on a faucet, it might need some maintenance or cleaning. Other common signs include a foul smell near the water heater and signs of water leaking near the unit.

Get the Water Heater Serviced Regularly

No matter how new or expensive your water heater is, it still needs routine servicing from an experienced plumber. The more you get this routine maintenance and inspections from a professional, the longer your tankless water heater is going to last. No appliance in your home will last forever, but you definitely will expand the lifespan of the water heater with inspections. There may be issues with the water heater that aren't made obvious to you, but that a plumber will be able to spot and can fix right then and there. This prevents problems later that might require more extensive repairs.

Make sure you also do your own inspections of the unit, looking for rust, odd smells, or signs of water leaks so you know when it is time to call a plumber for repairs.