Water heaters sit unnoticed in quiet corners of our house, doing their jobs year in and year out without raising too many flags. We rarely expect them to encounter trouble, but when they do, they can bring your household slamming to a halt. Here in Chicago, IL, a trained plumber can usually correct the problem with your water heater, but you need to spot the signs that your water heater needs repair before you can call them. Here’s a quick list of symptoms you should watch for in your household.
- Lack of Hot Water. A lack of hot water is an obvious sign of a problem, but it could be more subtle than just no hot water coming through your pipes. You might notice that your water takes much longer to heat up than it once did, or that you run out of hot water much faster.
- Strange Noises. Strange noises can involve hissing or moaning in the pipework surrounding the water heater, or a gurgling within the heater itself. That usually means either an issue with the system itself or a build-up of sediment in the bottom of the heater’s tank.
- Puddled Water. A leak of any kind will result in water puddling around your water heater. That represents a serious problem and you may need to replace your water heater completely.
- Rusty Water. Water with rust or similar detritus in it often means that your water heater’s walls are corroded, and you will need to replace it before a breach occurs.
- Higher Bills. If your water heater is expending more energy to do its job, you might see your gas or electrical bills spiking for no apparent reason.
Regardless of the specific sign, trouble with your water heater means you need a seasoned plumber to fix it. Call on the experts at Reliance Plumbing today to correct the issue properly!