Your water heater is essential during the colder fall and winter months. Unfortunately, cold weather can quickly become a problem for water heaters. But how exactly does cold water affect water heaters, and what can be done to reduce the overall strain your water heater might be experiencing? Here’s what you need to know about cold weather, your water heater, and proper preparation.

How Cold Weather Affects Water Heaters

The biggest threat to water heaters from cold weather is increased strain. At worst, your pipes could freeze due to the cold weather, making it impossible to run your water heater. In many cases, however, cold weather makes it more difficult for your water heater to function optimally. It may take longer for your water heater to properly warm up water, cause a spike in your utility bills, and lead to a strained system with issues like noise and a greater potential for damage.

Put simply, cold weather can make water heaters far less efficient than they should be. Thankfully, you don’t have to settle for an inefficient water heater.

What You Can Do to Support Your Water Heater

There are several ways you can combat the cold and make sure that your water heater is able to operate efficiently in colder conditions. These include:

• Insulating Your Water Heater and Water Heater Elements: Water heaters and their pipes need to be insulated. When they’re uninsulated, it’s much easier for the cold weather to affect them. Taking care to insulate your water pipes and even adding a water heater blanket to your water heater can make it harder for the cold air to affect your water heater’s performance.
• Considering a Location Change or Improving Conditions: The one issue often faced by water heaters in cold weather is that they’re placed in environments where the ambient air is significantly colder. For example, if your water heater is located in your basement rather than in the house where your heater can reach it, it’s going to have to work much harder to heat water. You can remedy this by considering moving your water heater to a more desirable location or looking for ways to improve ambient air quality.
• Conducting Regular Maintenance: Sediment already poses a risk to water heaters. But with water heaters that are struggling to do their job, sediment becomes even more problematic. Regular maintenance will help reduce these risks in colder weather.

Keep Your Water Heater Running Right

Cold weather can become a stressor for your water heater. But with proper maintenance and insulation, you can reduce the strain on your system. If you need any type of service for your water heater, call Red’s On Time Plumbing in Atascadero, CA.