Descaling on demand hot water heater
 

Who is doing this service and cost please

How often do you have it done??

I would imagine just about any plumber can do it in about an hour. That being said, it is a very easy DIY item. All you need is a small sump pump, a couple of hoses (washer hoses work great) a 5 gallon bucket and a couple gallons of vinegar.

Lots of videos on Youtube showing just how easy it is. I do mine every year to 18 months.

Most people have had a tank type water heater forever, and have never done any maintenance on it. In fact, the Rheem manual on my tank type water heater doesn't even "require" any maintenance. It works fine after 5 years with no maintenance. I suspect that most of the new tankless water heaters being installed in The Villages will not be maintained either, even though the manual does require it annually. Habits are difficult to break.

I DIY, annually.

The clean out valves (bi-pass valve) are installed already so clearly anticipated that you will be doing this maintenance.

My hot water heater is 12 years old and I have never touched it. It is still working fine. Stop worrying so much. Enjoy your retirement.

Obviously, and sadly, half the posters here are confusing a tank water heater with a on demand water heater. You will need to flush a tankless to maintain it. You will know it was not maintained when the performance drops such as lower flow rates.

Yep I've driven my 2015 car without doing anything except tires and gas still runs like a top.:popcorn:

We had up to six on demand heaters in our laundromats. They do need regular flushing depending on the minerals in your water. I used to connect two and flush them at the same time. :thumbup:

It’s easy to do yourself. I am glad to help you if you like.

Another reason to not replace your tank type water heater with a tankless type. Less maintenance.

Our tankless needs to be descaled annually. Kiley & Sons Plumbing for about $100.

Yes they are. I had a tankless heater put in a few years ago. They are more costly but if taken care there is no reason they cannot last 20-25 years. It takes a little over an hour a year to do this which most of that time is just sitting and waiting for the vinegar to run through the system. Lots of easy to follow instructions on the internet. You will be surprised at what comes out of the system. In a tank system this is what settles at the base of the tank and rots them out. I guess it’s a personal choice but my tankless system will probably out live me.

Descaling
 

Under normal conditions recommended yearly. My last home I had hard water and did it once after 10 years with no problems, probably very lucky. In this new home I installed a softener and whole house filter. I have a new pump and the recommended chemicals but not sure if I will ever use it because with softener I get absolutely no lime scale on fixtures like before

A friend's plumber charged $89. I plan to do my own. Videos are very helpful.

As retired NYC Licensed Master plumber you can do it yourself going on U2 they will save money. Calling a Florida lic plumbing company will cost you a charge for their time and service.

You have never done an oil change??

The tankless hot water heaters that the villages install south of route 44 in the new section are not on demand heaters. In fact they can take longer to reach your preferred hot water setting, but once they reach that setting the hot water supply will never run out or get cooler. They also save space in your garage since they are mounted on the wall outside your house. Yes they should be serviced and yes you can do it yourself. Some neighborhood groups get together and buy the equipment then share it whenever they need it.
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Nothing I like better than having gas tankless water heater attached to side my house and have to do annual maintenance. Plus cost several times more.

Some people don’t keep car long enough to change oil. You can bet most leased car probably never got oil change, cause they know there going to get rid of in 3 years.

We're having a house built now. I had them upgrade the standard tankless heater to a recirculating heater with a return line. It will be as close to on demand as you can get.

I hope they insulate the lines to minimize your gas bill.

How does a recirculating heater with a return line work?

I had a tankless water heater on my house in north Florida. I YouTubed it and figured out how to do it. Very simple.

It basically provides a closed loop for the hot water to circulate.

Depending on the heater, there are several options to keep hot water in the line. Some you set on a timer. So if you know you shower everyday at the same time it will make sure you have hot water in the pipes at that time. Some you can just set by thermostat so there is hot water all the time (more spendy that way). And some newer models are computer controlled to the point that they "learn" your hot water usage patterns and circulate the hot water based on your use.

Retired and lazy
 

Or if you're lazy like me you can call:
Andy Twiss
(508) 726-5257
Every 12-18 months and have it done for about $50