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You depend a lot more on your hot water than you probably realize. Nearly every daily task in your home is dependent on hot water working which is why proper water heater repair in Mansfield, TX is so important. From washing dishes to running a load of laundry to taking a shower you need hot water in your home to keep things clean and functional. With the current pandemic, most people are consuming even more hot water, taking extra showers, and practicing regular hand washing which may mean your water heater is getting more use than ever.
That means that your water heater may need water heater repair a bit sooner than usual. Even if you regularly have someone come out to your home to inspect your water heater once every few years, it may be time to call someone out to your home sooner than later. After all, the more hot water you consume the more your water heater is working and with many people working from home and children learning remotely, hot water is probably in high demand.
Even the best water heater can only go so long before it starts to show strain from normal wear and tear. Most water heaters last about ten years with some models making it closer to 15 years. The latter will only happen if you practice proactive maintenance and water heater repair. Extending the life of your water heater can help you save you a great deal of money in Mansfield, TX so now is the time to start thinking about whether or not your water heater needs some attention. Not sure whether it is time to call for maintenance or not? Here are some of the most popular signs that you need to consider water heater repair or replacement. Your water heater may be sending out help signals, make sure you know what they are so you can take action.
Age of Your Water Heater
The age of your water heater is often the first thing used to determine if it is time for water heater repair or replacement. At some point, you will be making more water heater repairs than you should be, and it becomes more economical to just replace your water heater and start new. However, a great deal of Mansfield, TX have no idea how old their water heater is. This is even more true as people move more than they used to be. People used to purchase a home and move a maximum of once if at all, but these days people move frequently.
This means there is a good chance that you did not purchase the water heater that is presently in your home, which also may mean that you have no idea how old it is. In fact, this may be the first time that you have even given your water heater more than a passing thought. The good news is you don’t have to be a professional to determine the age of your water heater, although a water heater repair technician can take a look and tell you if you can’t figure it out.
To find the age of your water heater, look for the serial number, and then follow a simple formula to read it. The first three numbers refer to the month and year. The letter is the number of the month, so if it is “A” it is the first month of the year, “B” is the second month of the year etcetera. The next two numbers are the year that the water heater was made in. Knowing this number can give you a better idea as problems arise with your Mansfield, TX water heater whether or not water heater repair or replacement is the best call.
Rust On the Outside
Steel is considered to be the strongest material an appliance can be made out of, but like Superman, it has its own weakness. In this case, the weakness is rust. Rust spreads once it starts to corrode in any corner of a water tank and will slowly keep spreading until it eats through the steel. This means any sign of rust is not great on a water heater. While you hope for water heater repair if you notice signs of rust on the outside of your tank this may indicate it is time to think about water heater replacement in Mansfield, TX. Where there is rust eventually there will also be a leak.
Rust in Your Water
Rust should never be in your water, so if you notice it you have a big enough problem that you need to call a plumber right away. It may be your water heater or it may be something else but you won’t know until a professional plumber investigates it further. The first thing you can do is check to see if the rust is only coming out of your hot water tap. If it is coming out of both your hot water and cold water tap you have larger issues. Either you have a huge problem with your main water line, or something is wrong with the city of municipal water. Talk to your neighbors to see if they are having the same water heater repair issue and then proceed from there.
However, if you notice that the rusty water is only coming out of your hot water then you either have an issue with rusty pipes or a rusting hot water tank. As mentioned, at this point you probably can’t settle for water heater repair, but you can fix rusting pipes so you need to call a plumber to explore.
Even if your water heater appears to be clean on the outside, it could be slowly corroding away on the inside. This happens more than you think because people cannot see inside their water heaters so they have no idea that the rust has taken hold until it starts to come out of their water. If you have a water heater that is pushing eight to ten years this is a very possible occurrence.
Sometimes you can see outward signs of rusting near the pressure relief valve to the water inlet near the water heater tank. If you see rust starting to form here then it is a safe bet there is rust inside as well and it is time to replace the rank. Not only do you not want to drink water that has been contaminated with rust, but it also means that a leak is probably imminent. It is always better to replace your water heater before it bursts and leaves you with flood damage on top of other problems.
Your Water Heater Is Making Odd Noises
If your water heater is making any noise at all it is probably time to call for water heater repair in Mansfield, TX. Your water heater should never make any type of noise. Rumbling, popping, or snapping noises are all sounds that the water heater tank is not functioning as it should. If you consume a lot of hot water in your home the noises may be even louder. Take a minute to spend some time in the basement and pay attention to your water heater. If it is quiet that’s great, but if you notice noises then call a plumber to come to take a look.
One of the reasons why your water heater may start to make noises is because of the build-up of sediment on the bottom of the tank. Over time as water is continuously heated and reheated the minerals drop to the bottom of the tank which forms sediment. If you have hard water in your home this is probably a more concerning issue although it will happen in every home eventually. The sediment when left there will harden and thicken until it starts to affect the ability of the tank to heat.
Since the water heater has to work harder to heat the water it will wear down quicker. You may also notice that your water is not as hot as it used to be, even if you turn the temperature up on the water heater. This is likely because the sediment is not allowing the heat to equally disperse around the water heater tank. It also means that if you do not call for water heater repair eventually your tank is probably going to burst or quit working. The extra time that it takes a water heater to actually effectively heat will actually break down the metal and steel until hairline cracks occur.
The sediment also causes the noises that you hear such as crackling and banging. The longer you allow it to happen the more damage will likely be caused making water heater repair in Mansfield, TX impossible. As mentioned, there should never be noise coming from your tank, so if you hear a noise it is time to take action.
One way you can proactively deal with sediment so it doesn’t get to this point is by having a plumber come flush your water heater annually. The flush allows the sediment to be drained out of the tank before it has a chance to harden and block the heat. An annual flush will also help your water heater work more efficiently. A lot of people note after water heater repair or a flush that their electric or gas bills drop a bit- which is in part due to their water heater working more efficiently than it has been.
After the tank is flushed, if the water heater is still noisy then a plumber is probably going to tell you that water heater repair is now off the table and it is time to think about replacement. Once again, the age of your water heater will come into play here because a tank that is one or two years old should be looked at more seriously than a tank that is 10+ years old. While you want to salvage a tank that you recently purchased, a noisy tank that is old is much more of a flood concern.
Actual Leaks from Your Water Heater
Although it should go without saying if you notice any leaks near your water heater you need to call for water heater repair right away. There should never be any moisture or leakage near your water heater. If you see water around your water heater and it is older this points towards leakage that needs to be promptly addressed so you don’t end up dealing with flood damage.
A plumber will usually check the inlet valve and the associated tapes to ensure that the leak is not coming from the fixture. Sometimes the temperature overflow pipe can also be the cause of the leak. If the problem is a bad seal then water heater repair is possible, but if the leak is coming from the tank itself your plumber will likely recommend that you replace your water heater. Coming home to find your basement or utility closet flooded is not a situation that you want to be in. Therefore, you need to trust the advice that you’re Mansfield, TX plumber offers.
It is important to note that any pooling water near the water heater is cause for investigation. Sometimes you won’t be able to see where the leak is coming from because a small fracture or gap will only be obvious when at the height of a heating cycle. This is when the pressure on the sides of the tank is at its highest, so the expanding metal forces the crack to be large enough for the leak. As it cools the leak may stop, but that doesn’t make it any less worrisome. So if you see water but can’t find the source, you still need to call a plumbing service.
If you need a plumber to take a look at your water heater and determine if it is time for water heater repair, give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth in Mansfield, TX a call. Our team has helped plenty of local residents with their water heaters and would be glad to take a look at yours.