Your home’s water heater is one of the most important appliances. It is necessary to take a shower, wash your clothes, and wash your dishes. When you believe that there is something wrong with your water heater, you will often be able to have it repaired than pay to have it replaced, which can be much more expensive. It is important to be able to recognize that your water heater needs repair.
No Hot Water
When you are not getting any hot water from your faucets, changes are your pilot light can be out. If you do not know how to check the pilot light, or do not want to take the chance doing it on your own, you should contact a water heater specialist. This problem could also be related to a problem in the heating element.
The Water Gets Too Hot or Not Quite Hot Enough
If you find that you turn on your hot water, and it is scalding you, that can be a problem. Also, if you are trying to take a shower or do the dishes, and the water is not getting quite as hot as you like, it is likely a problem with the thermostat on the unit. The ideal temperature should be between 120 and 140 degrees. If your thermostat is set correctly, you should contact a water heater specialist to check if the thermostat is faulty.
Odd Noises
When you notice strange noises coming from your water heater, it does not mean that the heater is on its way out. In most cases, hard water sediment has built up within the tank, and it has broken apart. To have this repaired, a water heater specialist would come in to drain the excess water from the tank. Once the tank is empty, he would clean out the sediment.
Water Around the Heater
If you have puddles of water around the heater, there is likely a leak coming from the tank. Common causes of these leaks are a loose valve or a leaky pipe. You can also have an obstructed vent, a faulty valve, or the heating element is not functioning properly. These are all problems that can be repaired by a water heater specialist.
Knowing when your water heater needs to be repaired is very important. If you let the problem go for too long, it may be too late for a water heater repair, and you would need to replace it entirely. If you notice any of the above issues, you should schedule an appointment with a water heater specialist to repair the problem before it gets worse.