A water heater is a very important appliance you use every day in your home. It can last between 10 to 15 years and it is often not properly maintained because we forget that it can also get damaged.
How to know if your water heater is broken?
- Water leaking from the top or bottom
Your water heater leaking may be due to a leaking valve or pipe. If it’s leaking from the top, it is likely due to a loosed hot outlet or cold inlet pipes or the inlet valve may be leaking. Leaking from the bottom could be caused by a leaking electric heating element or when the T&P valve releases excess pressure in the tank, expelling water through the overflow pipe.
Ø No Hot Water
If your circuit breaker has tripped or the heating elements have failed and need to be replaced, you may likely not get hot water. It could also be as a result of limit or reset switch on the thermostat.
Ø Dirty or Rusty Water
Corrosion of the tank or the anode rod could cause dirty or rusty brown water. If it is not attended to on time, the corrosion could result in your tank leaking water in the long run.
Ø Strange noises from the water heater
You will hear some kind of strange noises like banging, hissing or knocking from your water heater if there is scale build-up on the heating elements or excessive sediment in the bottom of the tank.
Ø Smelly Hot Water
The presence of bacteria in the tank could result in smelly hot water. Periodically flushing the tank may help but the best option remains changing the anode rod. The temperature of the thermometer can also be set to around 140 degrees to kill the bacteria.
Other ways to know if your water heater is broken is if the water is too hot, hot water pressure is too low or water is taking too long to reheat.
How to check your water heater and find out why it is not producing hot water
- Turn off the circuit breaker to the water heater.
- Check that the wires that are supplying power to the water heater are in good condition and the terminal where the power wires are attached to is not melted. If damaged, replace them.
- Use a multi-meter to check to see if the heating elements and the thermostats are working properly. If not, you need to replace them.
- Replace any bad parts, put on the access panels, close drain valve, refill the water heater completely with water, switch on the breaker, and test the water heater if it is working properly.
NOTE: Drain the water heater before removing any internal part and always remember to switch off the water supply to the water heater when you want to drain the water heater
Conclusion
It is an obvious fact that as a homeowner you will have to use a water heater one way or the other. What we discussed in this article are just tips that may be helpful to you and not the exact expertise needed and used to repair, replace and maintain the water heater.
Hiring a Professional
Though some plumbing issues may appear simple to fix but it is always the best option to hire professionals like First Burbank Plumbing to avoid complicating a simple problem.
About First Burbank Plumbing
First Burbank Plumbing is a reputable and reliable company that offers both residential and commercial services in Burbank CA and its environs. We remain your best hands for any plumbing service from water heaters, water pipe systems, automatic garden sprinklers, laundry units, drain clearing and leak detection. We guarantee customer satisfaction through our reliable and quality services.
Our Service Area
First Burbank Plumbing has served both residential homes and commercial buildings for years in Burbank Ca
Give us a call today at (818) 918-5655. We are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.