{"id":841,"date":"2020-03-02T11:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T16:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/?p=841"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:54:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:54:07","slug":"do-tankless-water-heaters-need-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/water-heater-service\/do-tankless-water-heaters-need-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Tankless Water Heaters Need Maintenance?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Do-Tankless-Water-Heaters-Need-Maintenance-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"tech-working-on-tankless-water-heater\" class=\"wp-image-843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Do-Tankless-Water-Heaters-Need-Maintenance-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Do-Tankless-Water-Heaters-Need-Maintenance-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Do-Tankless-Water-Heaters-Need-Maintenance.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Standard storage-tank water heaters are the type most often found in homes today\u2014it\u2019s the conventional system that people are used to. They\u2019re big, and very noticeable, even if \u201chidden\u201d away in a closet. Therefore, even if you don\u2019t spend a lot of time thinking about it, you do know that it needs service. After all, scaling from hard water can have a major negative impact on your water heater, allowing for a mineral buildup that clangs around and can ultimately cause damage to the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What many people don\u2019t realize is, while their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/water-heaters\/tankless\">tankless water heaters<\/a> are space-saving and extremely efficient, they also need maintenance! Actually, much of the maintenance completed for tank water heaters is about the same as the maintenance performed on tank water heaters. Don\u2019t hesitate to give us a call to schedule service. In the meantime, read on to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does Tankless Water Heater Preventive Maintenance Include?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tankless water heater preventive maintenance helps reduce mineral buildup, maintain efficient heating, and lower the risk of premature system problems.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flush mineral deposits and scale from the system.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check the heat exchanger for buildup that can reduce efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inspect the unit for signs of wear or performance problems.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Test water hardness to determine how often maintenance may be needed.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule service annually or every one to two years, depending on water quality and manufacturer requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A professional water heater maintenance service can help keep a tankless unit operating efficiently and extend its useful life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Scale Buildup Affects a Tankless Water Heater<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Scaling impacts a tankless water heater in a way that could lead to its premature need for replacement. At least, this is the case if you don\u2019t schedule routine maintenance and have the scaling dealt with. Hard water is defined by having a high content of minerals in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals, and they\u2019re found in water supplies across the country. When mineral deposits are left behind in appliances or pipes, that is what\u2019s called \u201cscaling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scaling effects the heat exchanger component of your tankless water heater. You might already know, the heat exchanger is what actually heats up the water to begin with. You need it to be clean so the water can be heated efficiently. Scaling can make your burners work harder, or can overwork a tankless water heater to the point that it breaks down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Often Does a Tankless Water Heater Need Maintenance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For some tankless water heaters, annual maintenance is essential to keeping the system running as smoothly as possible throughout its entire lifespan. For others, it\u2019s perfectly okay to go a year or two between maintenance visits. The frequency of your maintenance depends on how bad the hard water problem is in your area. In some parts of the state, mineral deposits are far more common than in others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your water can be tested for hardness\u2014or you may even be able to tell on your own. If you pretty frequently see a chalky white or yellow substance around faucets or drains, you likely have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/water-heater-service\/hard-water-you-may-face-more-tankless-water-heater-repairs\/\">hard water<\/a>, which means your tankless water heater is at risk. If testing confirms hard water, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/water-treatment-systems\/water-softener\">whole-home water softener<\/a> can help reduce mineral buildup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Should You Repair or Replace a Tankless Water Heater?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While annual or semi-annual maintenance is vital for tankless water heaters, it won\u2019t make the system last forever. Eventually, you will need to replace your tankless water heater with a new one, although a tankless water heater may last more than 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your system starts failing before this point, it could certainly be due to lack of maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>For service on your water heater, turn to the experts in <a href=\"\/service-areas\/st-charles-mo-plumbing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">water heaters in St. Charles, MO<\/a>\u2014Performance Plumbing. <a href=\"\/contact\/send-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact us<\/a> today! <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What many people don\u2019t realize is, while their tankless counterparts are space-saving and extremely efficient, they also need maintenance! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[97,125],"class_list":["post-841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-water-heater-service","tag-st-charles","tag-water-heaters"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=841"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1959,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841\/revisions\/1959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.performanceplumbinginc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}