Part of owning a home is knowing when it is time to replace your water heater. The last thing you want to do is wait for it to stop working or, worse, spring a leak and flood your home. Most of the time, your water heater will give you warning signs something is wrong and it needs water heater service by your plumber.
Sign #1: Snapping, Popping, Crackling Sounds
If your water heater sounds like your bowl of cereal when you add milk, it definitely needs to be serviced. Limescale, calcium, and mineral deposits inside the water heater will cause it to make these types of sound.
Sign #2: No Hot Water
No hot water is a telltale sign that something is wrong with your water heater. Before you panic, check to make sure the water heater is turned on. Kids, especially ones that have learned about energy conservation, will turn off the water heater’s bypass switch thinking they are helping conserve energy.
You can also check your breakers to verify one has not blown. Don’t forget to check the temperature setting on the heater too. If it got turned all the way down, you won’t have hot water. On natural gas water heaters, verify the pilot light is lit. If none of these things help, then call your plumber.
Sign #3: Your Water Is Rust-Colored
If you notice that when you turn on the hot water, it comes out rust-colored, this means it is time to replace your water heater. The internal components have become corroded. In most cases, it is not cost-effective to repair the water heater and it is better to replace it with a new one.
Sign #4: Water Is Leaking from the Water Heater
Leaks are never a good sign. Make sure to place buckets to catch leaks if your water heater doesn’t have a leak/overflow pan under it, which most should. Leaks can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes leaks can be fixed, other times they cannot, so you will need to get a new water heater.
Sign #5: Your Water Heater Is Displaying a Warning
Newer water heaters can have digital displays that say “Service Heater” or have different colors of lights to indicates something is wrong. Don’t ignore these, as the problem could worsen and lead to having to replace the heater instead of getting it repaired.
Sign #6: Your Water Heat is More Than 10 Years Old
If your water heater is more than 10 years old and starts having problems, this is a sign that it is time to replace your water heater. Even if the current heater can be repaired, you need to remember that one repair leads to the next, and so on. Plus, there will have been new technologies and enhancements designed to conserve energy and lower your water heating costs.
Sign #7: The Water in the Heater Is Boiling
If you hear boiling water coming from inside your water heater, this is dangerous. Shut off the power to the heater using the bypass switch or at the breaker. Get out of your home quickly. The boiling water can cause pressure to build inside the water heater and cause it to explode.
If you notice one or more of these signs, call your plumber right away. Whether you need water heater repair or water heater replacement will depend on several factors, such as the age of the water heater and the type of problems. Your plumber will do an initial assessment and offer you the appropriate options available.
To schedule water heater services, including repairs and new installations, or for other plumbing services in the entire Coachella Valley area and Palm Springs, please feel free to contact the plumbers at KC’s 23 ½ Hour Plumbing by calling 760-327-8718 today!
