When it comes to our numerous home appliances, we all wish they would last forever. Unfortunately though, our major appliances like heating systems, air conditioner, plumbing components, and water heaters take on a considerable amount of wear and tear throughout the years. This means that eventually, they will need to be replaced. The problem is that sometimes it can be tough to know when exactly some of these appliances need replacement, particularly the water heater.
When you are ready to replace the system, or if you fear you need repairs—or even if you’d like to schedule water heater maintenance, you can trust our Palatine, IL plumbing professionals for the job. But given that your water heater is almost certainly hidden from plain view, we want to give you a bit of help in determining when it’s showing signs of failing.
Your Water Heater Is Old
If your storage tank water heater is around 10-15 years old, it might be time to consider a replacement based on age alone. The sooner is usually better, preventing you from being caught off guard by a water heater that suddenly breaks down and stops working all together.
You Run Out of Hot Water Too Quickly
One fairly common sign of a failing water heater is one that no longer provides enough hot water for your entire household, when it did before. For instance, if you’ve got two showers, two people should be able to successfully finish their showers at the same time, without running out of hot water. So what’s going on when this isn’t the case?
First off, if your water heater was experiencing this problem from day one, then it probably wasn’t sized for your home correctly. If the above scenario is true for your home—that you have two showers—then your water heater installers should have helped you pick out the correct water heater to meet the water demand you’d need.
If you do discover that you need a water heater preplacement, be sure to trust in experienced professionals for the job!
The Tank Is Leaking
Any signs of a leak from your water heater are signs of trouble—potentially corrosion-related trouble. Corrosion happens when rust starts to take hold of your water heater, and there’s no stopping it once it begins. Your water heater has a number of safeguards in place to prevent this corrosion, including a tank liner and anode rod, but these components must be properly maintained in order to prevent rust from reaching the tank itself, eating away at it until leaks occur.
It’s important to remember that this is only a concern if the tank itself is what’s leaking, not if there is leaking from another component of the water heater. For instance, leaking from the drain valve or the temperature and pressure valve probably means that single valve needs to be replaced, versus the whole entire system.
For expert plumbing service, installations, or maintenance contact Reliance Plumbing Sewer & Drainage, Inc. Our knowledgeable plumbers serve the North Shore and Northwest Chicago suburbs. Rely on Reliance!