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C H A P T E R 2 0 : H VA C S Y S T E M S
heater off, or to the pilot or vacation settings. Your hot-water tank should have a drain valve near the base to which you can attach a garden hose. With the opposite end of the hose draining into a floor drain or a bucket, open the valve. When the water starts to run clear, close the valve. The pressure relief valve that sits on top of a hot-water tank is an important safety feature that will open in case of a dangerous buildup of steam pressure inside the tank. It’s connected to an overflow pipe that runs down the exterior of the tank, and it should be checked annually (ideally, by the service technician when the rest of the system is being checked). To do it yourself, put a bucket under the overflow pipe and open the valve. It should release water into the bucket. Close it immediately. If you’ve never opened the pressure relief or drain valves before, have a qualified service technician open them for the first time. Just like valves in hot-water heating systems, these valves can seize or become blocked with mineral deposits. Start your own maintenance routine only after you know the valves are operating properly. Signs that a hot-water heater needs professional attention include water puddling under the tank and rust on the bottom of the tank. Rusty or disconnected flues also need quick attention, because they could leak noxious gases into your house.
Fireplace, Wood Stove, and Chimney Maintenance Fireplaces, wood stoves, and chimneys should be professionally inspected once a year and professionally cleaned as necessary. In the meantime, you can check the chimney by opening the damper and looking up. If you can’t see daylight, don’t light a fire until you’ve had the chimney inspected. Either the chimney is blocked or the damper isn’t operating correctly. By holding a light up into the chimney, you should also be able to see how much creosote (a product of burning wood that is deposited in chimneys and can build up to become a fire risk) is accumulating. Also check the condition of the chimney interior (look for crumbling bricks). If 295