There are some appliances in your home you only use seasonally, like your air conditioner or heater. Because of their infrequent use, you probably pay a bit of attention to their care—scheduling maintenance and repairs when needed.
There are other systems, however, that become such an everyday part of life that we take them for granted—your water heater is at the top of this list.
It’s very important to pay attention to signs that your water heater is malfunctioning or aging to a point that replacement is near. Except for the case of an aging water heater that may be beyond help, the sooner you call for water heater repairs, the easier and less costly it will be to actually fix this appliance when it’s having problems. But, what should you watch for?
Rumbling
This can be an alarming sound—is your water heater about to explode?! Not likely—this noise most often indicates that hot and cold water are mixing at the top of the tank, probably due to a broken dip tube. Another common cause of this noise is overheating water. There are a number of reasons this might happen, and it requires a professional plumber to pinpoint the issue and fix it.
Kettling
Have you ever listened to the sound a boiling tea kettle makes? If you hear this same noise coming from the tank of your water heater, there’s a problem. The cause of this sound is a sediment layer along the bottom of your water heater’s tank. It’s trapping the water heated by the heat exchanger, which then bubbles up through the sediment layer. You’ll want to have your tank professionally flushed before the sediment blocks too much of the heat exchanger.
Leaking
The only place where water should ever be leaking out of your water heater is at the pressure release valve. If you see water dripping or pooling anywhere else, be sure to call our plumbers right away.
A Drop in the Water Temperature
Is your hot water not hot enough? We do not recommend tampering with the temperature control, known as the aquastat, on your water heater, as this can lead to suddenly scalding water. Please call our team for help to find out why your water heater isn’t doing its job as it is meant to.
Discolored Water
Do you have discolored water coming out of your faucets or plumbing appliances? If it’s happening with both the cold and hot water lines, but just with one faucet or appliance, it likely means that a single component needs replacing.
If, however, the discolored water is coming from multiple hot water taps, then it’s very likely that your main hot water line, or the water heater system itself, has experienced corrosion. Unfortunately, many times when this is the case it means you need a water heater replacement, not a repair. Be sure to call our team so we can assess.
For service on water heaters in St. Louis, MO and more, contact Performance Plumbing!