Do you have a water heater in your home? Most likely you do, since having access to warm water is something that most of us take for granted. Have you ever taken the time to make sure that your water heater is in good condition? It might not be the first on your list for items in your home to care for, but if you have ever had a water heater fail, you will know the inconvenience that it can bring.

So, what should you do to make sure that a water heater failure is less likely? Naturally, there are many parts to a water heater that you can’t service yourself, but here are a few.

Your water heater will have a temperature and pressure relief valve. This is essential to proper operation. To test it, you can lift it slightly and then let go of it. If the valve works correctly, it should snap into place by itself, and you should hear the sound of gurgling water. If either of these things doesn’t happen, you need to replace the valve.

You can also flush your water heater by opening the drain valve and taking out a bucketful of water. This will allow sediment from the bottom of the tank to drain out and make your heater work more efficiently.