With our summer rainy season already almost halfway over, we’ve had several of our famous thunder and lightening storms creating natural fireworks and bringing lots of water during short bursts of late night showers. With all that water turning our surrounding jungle vegetation lush and green, we thought it was also an appropriate time to offer some tips to maintain the water systems in your Puerto Vallarta property, to keep them in tip-top shape and running efficiently.
Maintaining Your Hot Water Heater
Outdoor water heaters can easily last 10 or more years and those placed indoors can see at least 15 years without replacement, if you show them a little care.
· Adjust the thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius). This will put less stress on your water heater, save you money (up to 5% in energy savings for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit you lower the temperature) and lessen the danger of scalding.
· Keep a 2 feet perimeter of clear space around your hot water heater unless otherwise stated in your unit’s User Manual.
· We have hard, mineral rich water in Puerto Vallarta, so drain approximately a quarter of the tank 3 or 4 times each year to clear out any sediment. Simply turn off the cold water, connect a garden hose to the drain valve, and run water through into a bucket until it runs clear. This will lengthen the life of your hot water heater and make it run more quietly.
Maintaining Your Water Filtration System
Each system is different, so be certain to consult your User’s Manual, but here are some general tips that are applicable to most water filtration systems.
· Put regularly scheduled, twice annual professional service calls on the calendar, to be certain that you have an expert checking your system.
· Ask that with each service call, the system cartridges are being sanitized.
· Ask your service professional to verify the tank pressure on every service call.
· And finally, check that your service professional is inspecting all O-rings to prevent leaks.
Maintaining Your Water Pump System
If you use an electric pump to stabilize the water pressure in your home, there are some easy tips to make sure that your showers and taps are running at their most efficient capacity.
· Check regularly to ensure you have a good level of water in your tank, without leaks. Running low or out of water can cause your pump to stop working and to block your pipes with debris and sediment.
· Pay attention if you hear an unusual noise. A bang, clunk, straining sounds or rattling can all be important indicators that all is not well with your water pump. If you’re not sure, have someone run the water in your home while you listen for odd noises. If you hear one, turn the water pump off and call for a professional to service it right away. Many times, a small problem can be fixed if caught in time, meaning you don’t have to replace the entire pump.
If you care for your house, your house will care for you, making sure you have clean, well-running water all the time.
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