Signs It Is Time For Water Heater Repair | Brookhaven, GA
Photo By STEKLO at Shutterstock
Water heater repairs are a necessary evil. Residents of Brookhaven, GA rely on hot water to wash their clothes, sanitize their homes, wash dishes and for showers and baths. Hot water is no longer the luxury that it once was. It is as important as maintaining repairs to your car. There are numerous ways your unit will tell you it is time for repairs and you should take note and call your trusted water heater repair specialist.
Have you noticed your tank is struggling to keep up with demand? Does the hot water run out too quickly or it takes too long to warm up? Maybe it never reaches optimal temperature. There are few things worse than jumping into the shower before work and discovering you have little to no hot water. This could be something as simple as adjusting the thermostat or the temperature setting. Oftentimes, the dip tube becomes disconnected. Annual routine maintenance visits can catch this before it becomes a huge and expensive water heater repair problem.
No hot water in a gas water heater can mean that the pilot light needs to be relit. It could also mean that the gas control valve is broken. In electric water heaters, the element may have burned out. Did you know the average lifespan of a water heater is 10 years? A good water heater repair specialist will be able to diagnose and repair or replace the tank.
You may notice your water tastes funny or has a cloudy appearance. Your water may also smell and taste metallic. Mineral content in your water hardens, which can cause murky, metallic water. Another common cause is sediment build up at the bottom of the tank. This can cause clogging, which can lead the tank to malfunction. Sediment can also be the culprit when you hear strange noises coming from the inside of the tank. As sediment builds up, the minerals harden, causing the tank to emit banging and clanging sounds. A simple flush of the tank can fix the problem and your water heater repair specialist does this during his or her annual routine maintenance and inspection.
Water heaters are made of metal and metal will eventually rust from continuous contact with water, causing the inside of your unit to rust internally. When this happens, you will notice rusty water coming from the tap, making it not only taste bad but it can also be dangerous to you and your family. Rusting can also come from your pipes. A simple test you can do yourself is to run water straight from your water heater into a 5 gallon bucket. You should do this several times. If it continuously comes out as rusty, then you know it is your water heater. Another little known reason your water may smell funky is bacteria buildup in your tank. Your water heater repair specialist will test for rusty water and bacteria during a routine annual inspection of the tank.
Discovering water around the base of your water heater is indicative of the unit leaking, often meaning that there is a leak or a fracture in the tank. As the metal heats up, it expands and causes the fractures in the tank. This allows water to seep out of the cracks, causing damage to the floors and walls of your home resulting in expensive repairs. Leaks can also be caused by loose fittings. Sometimes this is due to a pressure issue caused by a faulty T&P (temperature and pressure) valve. A simple adjustment to the pressure of the tank can prevent an emergency replacement of the water heater, which can be quite costly. Once diagnosed, the water heater repair specialist will take the necessary steps to ensure your family has hot water as soon as possible.
To ensure that your water heater continues to function optimally, routine annual service and repair includes checking the burner on your tank. Over time, the burner will begin to rust, affecting the ability to heat your water supply. In the case of gas water heaters, you should always notice a blue flame. Dirt and debris accumulate around the burner, resulting in an orange flame due to the burner starving for oxygen. Eventually the burner will need to be replaced.
Another common cause of internal rust of the tank is when the magnesium anode rods, also known as sacrificial anodes, become eaten away over time. The sacrificial anodes protect the metal inside the tank and keep it from corroding. A good water heater repair specialist will be able to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair this issue.
Gas water heaters need to draw in air from the gas pipes to the burner to create a combustion, which in turns begins warming the water. Storing chemicals such as ammonia near the water heater can cause corrosive air leading to corrosion and ultimately, the water heater will fail. This can be a costly problem but more importantly, it can be dangerous.
Have you ever gotten a slight shock when turning on your faucet? This occurs when connections are not properly placed and electricity from other appliances in your home jump into the connections of the unit producing more current than the tank can handle. This results in corrosion, rusting and severe electrical shocks.
Water heaters are an important part of every home. Maintaining your water heater with routine yearly water heater repair service is important to you and your family. By maintaining your unit with yearly repair services, you can avoid the expense of replacing your tank. Call or visit online for a service appointment with Peach Plumbing + Drain located in Brookhaven, GA for all your service needs.