There are numerous maintenance tips that you can employ to increase the life of your water heater. They also have the added bonus of helping to improve the unit’s overall efficiency, helping you to avoid the need for repairs and replacements down the track. In the list below, we have outlined three of the main maintenance tips that every homeowner should follow:

1. Add Insulation
   Many homeowners are unaware of the fact that insulating your heater can have a significant impact on its efficiency (and, therefore, its lifespan) by reducing the amount of ambient heat lost. Whilst this is the sort of maintenance that you can undertake yourself, we highly recommend enlisting the help of a friend to make it easier.
   
   - Turn the heater off at the switchboard (for an electric unit) or by turning the gas valve to the ‘pilot’ position (for a gas unit).
   
   - Measure the unit and, if necessary, cut the insulating blanket to fit. The top should remain open and any valves unobstructed.
   
   - Wrap the blanket around the unit and loosely tape it into place. Ensure that you take into account where the access panel is located.
   
   - Mark on the blanket the places where any controls are. Electric units will have 1 panels on the side, gas ones will need generous holes.
   
   - Remove the blanket and cut out the holes that you’ve marked. Then replace it and securely tape into place.
   
   - Turn the heater back on, ensuring that the thermostat is not set above 54^oC (as the wiring may overheat with added insulation).
2. Set the Appropriate Temperature
   What temperature is your water heater is set to? Most homeowners don’t think to check this until their unit is experiencing a problem. As such, most are set to 60^oC simply due to the manufacturer’s settings. Ensuring that it is set to 48^oC or 54^oC can save you nearly $500 each year in energy costs, as well as help to extend the life of the unit.
3. Annual Inspection
   If you are serious about increasing the life of your heater, you should ensure that it receives ongoing inspections and maintenance to ensure peak performance. An annual inspection with a professional will help you to identify potential issues (and get them rectified) and opportunities to further improve its performance.

By following each of the above maintenance tips, you should be able to increase the life of your water heater significantly. Whilst the addition of insulation and setting the heater to an appropriate temperature are one-off tips that are easy to perform, having the heater regularly inspected will go a long way towards ensuring that it’s around for a long time to come.