Home Maintenance Tips: Check Your Hot Water Heater

Filed Under Home Maintenance Tips, Home Safety Tips, Plumbing Tubes + Traps | Leave a Comment

How often do you think about your hot water heater? Can you remember the last time that you checked it? Typically, water heaters last 10 to 15 years, but with a little care and maintenance they can last even longer.

water-heater Some things to consider about your tank:

Check the exterior. Leaks and rust on the outside could be early indicators of problems inside the tank.

Sacrificial anodes, the magnesium or aluminum rods that screw into the tank, get used up. The sacrificial anodes undergo electrolysis so that the steel in the tank is not effected, increasing longevity of the tank. Depending on the number of sacrificial anodes, the tank may have a 6 year, 12 year, or longer warranty. Not replacing them when they are used up may result in damage to the tank.

Sediment builds up over time. Part of your regular hot water heater maintenance should include flushing the tank. Sediment build up can cause the heating element to burn out, as well as cause damage to the bottom of the tank due to overheating.

Check that the pressure relief valve works. When it lifts up, it should release hot water via the overflow pipe.

Ideally, hot water tanks should be checked monthly as part of your regular home maintenance. The recommendation for testing the pressure relief valves and draining the tank is every six months.

And just one personal bit of experience – Bob’s parents recently replaced their very old water heater and when we hauled it out, we found over a foot of old iron sediment in the bottom of it! After the new one was in place for about a week, Mom & Dad told us they were feeling ‘better’ and their digestion had improved. They are quite active and in their 80’s, so this was very good news. And yes, we think it was the water that was causing their problems.

Feeling nervous about doing this yourself? Call HB Building and Design. We are always happy to help.

Jun

20

Designer’s Corner: Design Vision Part II

Filed Under Aging In Place / Aging At Home, Designer's Corner | Leave a Comment

The second half of this story takes place closer to our home, on the San Mateo Coastside in Moss Beach. Our client had a big mishmash of closets, hidey-holes, a small room with a toilet and a shower, and a sink sitting in the middle of her bedroom. morelandcloset

She is only 72 years young, and is a nurse, so is quite aware of the physical changes that happen to your eyes, muscles and bones no matter how good a shape you maintain as you age. She wanted to be prepared. And, she also wanted to make a better system of storage for all her things. And does she have things! She is a smart dresser, and has shoes, scarves, and jewelry to match all her outfits. 70 pairs of shoes, and not one of them will be discarded during our remodel! Not to mention, a nice collection of hats, belts; as well as crafts and holiday decorations that need their own storage space in the re-design.

The key requirements for the remodel are:

1) Accessible Shower with no curb, a seat, wheelchair accessible

2) Comfort Height Toilet

3) Skylights for day light and Bright Light for evenings

4) Accessible and Organized Storage, and Lots of it!

My lovely client also has great taste, so her choices have been full of color, style and it has been so much fun to work with her. When she isn’t working on craft books for her twin granddaughters, she is out in her garden raising beautiful flowers or cooking something up in the kitchen.

For this post, you only get to see the colorful BEFORE photos….next week we put in the shower glass, then you will get to see the super Graniti Fiandre yellow porcelain tile, cherry cabinets, Ice Stone countertop and cabinetry configuration that allows for privacy and accessibility in the new configuration. Here is a preview of the new floor plan – our client is amazed at the storage space and openness she’ll have now. Floor to ceiling cabinetry plus some room over the top hidden by crown molding for the seldom-used items will give her a whole new boudoir, with the whole place in it’s own room with an arched entry. We’ll keep you posted!