You need your water heater to work almost every day for showering, cleaning, washing dishes, etc. This puts plenty of stress on your water heater and that makes it likely at some point that it will malfunction and you’ll need to call for water heater repair from experts.
If you know the signs to watch for, you can detect early that your water heater is in trouble. The faster you act, the less likely you’ll suddenly lose all your hot water.
Below are six common signs that you’ve got a malfunctioning water heater. If you’re experiencing any of these signs, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experienced technicians are standing by 24 hours a day to assist you.
1. Water Leaking
The only place where any water should escape from the water heater is from the pressure relief valve, and that’s only a few drips. If you notice puddles of water around the base of your water heater or water dripping down the side of the tank, you need to have it addressed right away. Many problems can cause water heater leaks, such as overheating, corrosion, or a faulty pressure relief valve.
2. Running Out of Hot Water Quickly
Have mornings in your household turned into mad dashes to get to the showers first before the hot water supply runs out? This shouldn’t be the way your water heater works if it was correctly sized and installed. When this starts to happen, it means the water heater is losing heating capacity for some reason, such as sediment buildup, a broken heating element, or a faulty thermostat.
3. Water Temperature Fluctuations
Have you noticed when showering that the water temperature goes through sudden swings? A water heater is supposed to provide a steady temperature of hot water, so these fluctuations warn of problems that include a bad thermostat, a faulty circulator pump, a broken dip tube, or poor gas flow to the burners.
4. Discolored Water
You turn on the hot water faucets in your home and see a rusty color in the water. If this is occurring at all the faucets and doesn’t stop after a minute or so, it likely means there is excess sediment in the water heater tank or the tank is starting to rust. The tank can be flushed to remove sediment, but a rusty water heater will probably need to be replaced.
5. Unusual Noises
Odd sounds from a water heater to pay attention to include rumbling, popping, and banging. Don’t worry that your water heater is about to explode—this is extremely rare. However, we recommend you shut off the water heater first and then call for technicians to investigate the sounds.
6. Lower Water Pressure
Many different plumbing issues can cause a drop in water pressure in your house. But if the water pressure problem is only happening with the hot water taps, the issue is probably with the water heater, such as clogs in the line or a dying circulator pump.
JN Electrical Temperature Control, Inc works hard to ensure customer satisfaction with custom comfort solutions. Call us when you need water heater repairs.