Portland Water Heater Services

Electric hot water heaters are generally pretty reliable, but they are vulnerable to the elements. Extreme cold or flooding can knock out a hot water heater and create the need for you to purchase a new one. In order to avoid this, we have compiled a few tips on hot water heater care, and general plumbing preventative maintenance. 

• Install Hot Water Heater on a platform: Always elevate your hot heater off the basement floor when you have it installed, particularly if you are susceptible to flooding. Even if your basement is sealed tight, you still might have to deal with a broken pipe or washer machine at some point. You don’t want to put an electric water heater at risk of shorting out from pooling or flooding water.

• Seal Your Basement and Install a Sump Pump: This is a good tip even if you don’t have a flooding problem. You never know when internal problems will cause flooding. If something malfunctions on an upper floor and leaks, you’ll want your basement to be able to drain that water out when it ends up down there, which it will. A sump pump will ensure that happens.

• Winterize: Make sure you wrap your water heater and any pipes that are vulnerable to cold temperatures in the winter time. There is no worse plumbing emergency than a broken pipe on a cold winter’s night. We have Portland plumbers who can deal with it for you, but you’ll still be looking at heat loss for a while, water damage, and repair costs.

Options to Electric Water Heaters 

Electric water heaters are efficient and effective for a residential setting. They are by far the most popular option for heating water to shower, clean clothes, or wash dishes, but they are not the only option. You can also find gas, propane, and even solar powered hot water heaters if you’re looking for the traditional stand-up tank models, or you can opt for tank-less water heaters and never have to worry about freezing in the basement. 

As an environmentally friendly Portland plumber, Our Company would like to encourage everyone to look into more energy efficient hot water heater solutions. If you have an older water heater, not only are you most likely using more electricity or gas than necessary, but you’re also not getting the kind of heat that you could get with a newer model. Call us today and ask about water heater solutions for your home.