A significant part of your daily routine likely depends on the function of your home’s water heater. You cannot risk this important appliance not working reliably. These 14 signs can signal to you that your water heater needs professional attention.
1. No Hot Water
When your water heater fails to produce hot water, it requires immediate professional attention to repair this problem. A lack of hot water coming from it can indicate that its heating element has malfunctioned.
Your water heater may also have a damaged thermostat and need a new one installed. An experienced technician will inspect your water heater to determine the reason for this problem. Your technician can also handle repairs like replacing the damaged heating element or thermostat.
2. Unusual Noises
When your water heater operates normally, it should not make any noise. If it starts making noises like popping, rumbling, or banging, it signals to you that it needs professional repairs. These noises can stem from problems like sediment buildup inside the tank.
Sediment buildup not only causes your tank to make unusual noises. It also damages your tank’s heating elements. A professional technician can remove the sediment buildup and resolve these noises by flushing the tank.
3. Inconsistent Water Temperatures
Inconsistent water temperatures can also tell you that your water heater tank requires professional repair. A faulty thermostat can cause this appliance to produce water that is either too cold or too hot. Your tank may alternatively have a bad heating element in it.
The solution to resolving an inconsistency with its water temperatures involves hiring an experienced technician to inspect and find out the root of the problem. The technician can also install a new heating element or thermostat.
4. Rusty or Discolored Water
When the water coming from this appliance looks rusty or discolored, it should prompt you to call a plumbing technician to repair your water heater. Rusty water often stems from a corroded inside tank.
You should not use the water until you find out how deteriorated the inside of your tank is and whether or not a technician can repair it. If the repairs prove too costly or the technician finds the deterioration too extensive, you should buy a new water heater.
5. Leaks or Drips
A leaky water heater or one that drips constantly requires the attention of a professional plumbing technician. These issues indicate a damaged component, such as a hose or valve, somewhere in or leading up to the tank.
They also put your home at risk of costly and extensive water damage if you fail to repair them. The technician you hire can investigate and find the cause of the drip or leak and repair or replace the faulty component.
6. Higher Energy Bills
A water heater that fails to perform optimally can contribute to higher energy bills for your home. When your bills seem to go up progressively each month, you should call a technician to check out the water heater for you.
The heater could have a damaged heating element or bad wiring that causes it to use more energy than usual. Having it professionally repaired can improve its efficiency and lower your home’s utility bills.
7. Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure not only inconveniences you and your household. It also tells you that you need to have the water heater in your house professionally serviced.
A clogged or blocked hose or pipe typically causes this common water heater problem. It can also stem from a leaky pipe, a damaged valve, or a faulty pressure regulator.
Solving these problems involves hiring a plumbing professional to flush out the lines to remove clogs or blockages. The technician can also repair or replace damaged parts like a valve or regulator.
8. Foul Odors
When the water coming from this appliance smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, you might have a buildup of bacteria inside the tank. Your tank may also have sediment buildup or a deteriorated anode rod.
A plumbing professional with experience repairing water heaters can find out what kind of buildup you have inside your hot water tank. This technician can flush out bacteria, minerals, and other contaminants or replace the anode rod to remove foul odors.
9. Pilot Light Problems
A blocked air filter can prevent the pilot light in the water heater in your home from staying lit. Your pilot light may also go out because of a dirty or malfunctioning thermocouple or dirty flue inside your tank.
These problems call for the attention of an experienced plumbing repair professional. This technician can clean the flue, replace or repair parts like the thermocouple, and install a new air filter to prevent the pilot light from extinguishing.
10. Constant Running
Your hot water tank should not run constantly. Instead, it should cycle consistently and maintain the water temperature at which you have set the thermostat.
When it fails to reach that temperature and runs constantly, it could have a problem like a damaged heating element or a faulty thermostat. The best way to find out what the issue is involves hiring a repair service technician. Your repair professional can inspect these parts and install new ones to prevent your tank from running continuously.
11. Frequent Blown Fuses
When your water heater frequently blows fuses, it gives you a clear indication that you need to have its electrical components inspected and repaired. It may have a short circuit. It might also need its heating element repaired or replaced.
The technician you hire can inspect and make these repairs for you. You can also trust the repair professional to install new parts like a heating element that can prevent this appliance from blowing fuses.
12. Failure to Turn On or Respond to Adjustments
A failure to turn on or respond to adjustments you make to it tells you that this appliance needs some kind of servicing. It might need a new thermopile installed in it. It may even need an entirely new circuit board.
A licensed repair technician can test out these parts and determine which ones no longer work. You can have this professional put new parts in to replace the defective ones to get your tank to turn on again.
13. Repeated On and Off Cycling
This appliance should not repeatedly cycle itself on and off under normal circumstances. When yours seems to turn on and off frequently, you may need to have parts like the thermostat inspected and repaired.
The problem could also lie with the settings within the water heater itself. The repair service professional you choose can inspect these parts, repair the salvageable ones, and replace those that he or she cannot fix.
14. Age
A malfunctioning water heater more than a decade old may have reached the end of its lifespan. Even so, you can have a technician inspect and repair it, if possible. You may decide to invest in a new one if the repairs are more than half the cost of buying and having a new one installed.
Choose Us for Water Heater Services
At A/C & Plumbing Doctors, we have 20 years of experience servicing water heaters. Our business offers same-day and emergency services. You also get upfront, honest pricing and no hidden fees for costs like mileage on your bill. We not only service water heaters but also provide fast and efficient services for your home’s heater, air conditioner, and plumbing.
Our team at A/C & Plumbing Doctors offers the solution you need to keep your water heater working reliably. Contact us today to learn more about our plumbing services!
