Whether you’re looking to have a new water heater installed or you need your existing one maintained or repaired, you may be wondering whether your water heater technician must be certified. You certainly want to hire the right person for the job, but you might not know exactly what that involves. To make things even more confusing, licensing and certification requirements can differ not just from state to state but even between different areas in the same state in some cases.
What Is a Certified Water Heater Technician?
Some people use the words “licensed” and “certified” interchangeably, and others do not. In addition, there are different levels of licensing. For example, a plumber might be licensed at the journeyman or master plumber level. You might also see this described as a journeyman or master plumber certification.
In general, a technician must be licensed to work on your water heater in your home or commercial building, but there are additional certifications beyond these. For example, a plumber may need an additional gas fitter certificate to work on the gas line of a water heater.
Code Compliance
Hiring a certified water heater technician may itself be required to remain code compliant. However, there are additional reasons to make sure your water heater technician is certified. This certification helps ensure that they are aware of any additional codes regarding your water heater. For example, it might be necessary to pull permits to do certain types of work.
While not strictly a code issue, your warranty might require that only a certified water heater technician is allowed to work on your water heater. This could also be the case for your homeowners’ insurance.
Safety
Even if code compliance were not an issue, having a certified water heater technician is important for safety reasons. If you have a gas water heater, the technician will ensure that it is safely vented. A certified technician will also know how to work safely around any wiring.
Improved Performance
Licenses and certifications let you know that trade professionals have had a certain amount of training and education and that they have passed exams to demonstrate their knowledge. A certified water heater technician also knows how to make the repairs or do the maintenance work necessary to improve your water heater’s performance. This will maximize its efficiency and keep your bills lower.
If you’re thinking of having a friend or family member work on your water heater or doing it yourself, think again. You might not get the best results, and it may not even be permitted depending on the type of work it is and where you live. When you hire a certified water heater technician, you can count on the professional having the education and experience necessary to solve your water heater issue. When you need water heater services in Antioch, CA, contact Almighty Plumbing.
