Do you need a new water heater?
When it comes time to replace your water heater, it’s best to call a professional. This way you can be sure that everything has been done safely and to code.
Here are some easy ways to determine if your water heater needs to be repaired or replaced. Some may require a little periodic checking while others become obvious only after things have gone wrong:
- The water is coming out rusty or some other non-clear color.
- The water isn’t getting hot enough.
- The water isn’t getting hot at all. While this could indicate the pilot light is out or the circuit breaker has been tripped, it can also indicate a failure of the whole heating system.
- If the water has a strange odor or metallic taste, it’s a sign that the water heater is breaking down.
- While a water heater normally makes sounds as it operates, loud pops and cracks indicate that the heating element is failing.
- Leaks around the water heater are a significant sign of trouble. This indicates major failure going on internally. Shut off the electricity or gas to the system and let it cool down before replacing it. If it’s over 10 years old, it’s nearing the end of its life expectancy.
A few tips you can follow...
Before doing any maintenance on your water heater yourself, be sure to shut off the power, and read your owner's manual.
- At least once every three months, drain water from the tank. Over time sediment builds at the bottom of the heater, which can hamper performance, and draining a gallon or so helps remove the sediment.
- You should also periodically inspect your water heater burner. The flame under the heater should appear blue with yellow tips. If it's mostly yellow or sooty under there, your flue may be clogged, which is a dangerous situation. Contact a professional to check it out.
- At least once every two years, have your water heater inspected by a service technician. He or she will also check the drain valve for signs of leakage, and the anode rods for corrosion.
We advise against trying to diagnose, repair or replace a hot water heater yourself. Call us and we’ll assess the options available to you with respect to your hot water, so we can resolve the issue quickly and efficiently to get your home or business back in order as quickly as possible.
