The water heater does not announce itself. It hums in a closet or the corner of the garage for years, and then one morning the shower runs lukewarm and nobody in the house knows which valve to touch. If you are the one who will be asked, read this while the kettle heats, not while the water is running cold.
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Find the Three Things Before Anything Goes Wrong
Walk to the tank with him, or without him if he will not come, and find three things. First, the cold water shutoff on the pipe going into the top of the tank. Second, the heat control: a power switch on electric models, or a gas valve with a dial on gas models. Third, the temperature setting, usually behind a small cover on the front panel or on the thermostat dial. Write them on a card and tape it to the closet door with the plumber's number beside them. The card is for the next person in the house, not for a crisis.
Also read the label on the tank. It names the model and serial number, which the plumber will ask for, and it usually lists the capacity and the heat source. Copy those onto the card too.
What Keeps It Working
Most of the trouble a water heater has is slow. Sediment settles on the bottom of the tank and makes the burner or heating element work harder, run a little noisier, and heat less efficiently. Draining a few gallons from the valve at the bottom clears some of it, and many plumbers will do a fuller flush when they are already on site. Ask how often he recommends it for your tank, and write the answer on the card.
Many tanks also have a sacrificial anode rod, a metal rod that runs through the top of the tank and wears away so the tank itself does not. Ask whether yours has one, when it was last checked, and who will check it next.
Decide Who Owns the Job
A water heater with no owner gets attention only after it leaks. Decide who calls for service, who keeps the receipt and the warranty paper, and who answers the door when the plumber arrives. If your father does not want the phone call, that is fine, but someone in the family should know the plumber's name and the date of the last visit.
At the next service, ask three questions: what the tank's remaining life looks like from here, whether the anode rod is worth replacing, and what the warning signs are that mean call now instead of waiting. Water on the floor under the tank, rust-colored water from the hot tap, a new rumble that changes with the heat, or any leak from the base of the tank are not things to wait on.
Keep the Setting Where It Belongs
Heaters are often set higher than the house needs. A setting that is too hot can scald, so ask the plumber what he recommends for your house and tape that number to the card. Then leave the dial alone. A man who wants more hot water will sometimes turn it himself, and a note on the cover is easier than an argument about it.