Water Heater Maintenance- Clean your Air Filter

With the winter season in full blast an essential is hot water so we just want to do a little refresher on doing Water heat maintenance. If it is a task that you have not performed before there is no reason to fret. There is a few simple routine checks such as flushing the tank twice per year, checking the anode rod, and some other aspects. However, many property owners either do not know about or forget about the air filter, which is often a black mesh ring circling the bottom of your water heater. The air filter is important because it helps keep dust and other grime from getting into your heater’s heating system. However, dust will build up on this filter, which in turn will reduce the air flow to your heater, creating a less efficient heater since your heater requires air to ‘breathe’. You should clean the filter each time you flush your tank (twice per year). Cleaning your filter only takes a few minutes and requires no special tools. Follow these simple steps:

Turn Off Gas/Pilot Light

This will prevent any dust or anything else from flowing into the heating system while you are cleaning the air filter. 

Remove Filter

The air filter is kept in place with a simple catching mechanism. Find the catch mechanism, undo, and remove from your heater’s bottom.

Clean

To clean your air filter, you can use compressed air to blow away the excess dust. If you don’t have an air compressor, then lay out your filter on the ground, and then spray with water until the dust is removed.

Dry

If you use water to clean your air filter, then hang your filter to dry, or wipe down with a cloth.

Put Filter Back in Place

Once your air filter is dry, replace underneath your water filter by stretching around the bottom, and then using the grasp mechanism to secure. Check on all sides to ensure that your air filter is sitting properly and without any gaps to allow dust through.