What is something we all take for granted, helps us get going in the morning, and most of us probably feel we can't live without?
* Hot Water *
But I bet most of us rarely even think about maintenance for it!
One of the biggest reasons a home floods is due to lack of maintenance of your Water Heater. Manufacturers have built in ways to properly maintain your water heater. Water is corrosive and eats your tank from the inside out and builds up calcium deposits. There is a very important piece inside called an "Anode Rod". Anode rods can be made of aluminum or magnesium. They work by electrolysis which deteriorates the rod instead of the metal of the tank. Once the Anode Rod is gone your water heater will begin to corrode. The Anode Rod should be inspected every few years. You will also want to flush your water heater at this time to wash out any sediment at the bottom of the tank.
A majority of Water Heaters come with Aluminum Rods. Aluminum is toxic to injest. You can buy magnesium Anode Rods, which is a mineral our bodies can injest. (Magnesium is in your multi-vitamin).
So every few years, your water heater should be drained and cleaned out (all the calcium deposits) and the Anode Rod should be replaced. Also consider using a magnesium Rod versus an Aluminum Rod, for overall better water quality.
