Tankless water heaters are a big boon to any house which installs them, jettisoning the bulky tanked model in favor of a system that instantly heats the water as it passes through the pipes to your faucet. It costs less to run than tanked models and because it heats the water “on demand,” you never need to worry about the temperature dropping in the middle of your shower. But while regular maintenance can help prevent repair sessions, no system is perfect and sooner or later your tankless system will suffer a breakdown. Here in Chicago, IL, you can summon a plumber with specific training in tankless water heater repair problems, but it helps if you can recognize those problems quickly. We’ve listed a few of the more common ones below.
Build-Up
Hard water is the enemy of tankless water heaters. There’s nothing actively harmful about it; it simply contains more minerals than it should, which can be deposited in the system and leave a crusty white build-up. Over time, that will result in clogs and other serious problems. A service call can clean off the build-up, and water softeners can be used to reduce the mineral content of your water system.
Overheating
Tankless water heaters work by generating a lot of heat very quickly. That heat needs to be vented properly or else it will cause key components to overheat. A clog or a blockage could stop the venting, which can add up to a big problem very quickly.
Corrosion
Corrosion isn’t normally a problem, but if condensate drips onto the wrong spot or the heat exchanger is misaligned, then you may start seeing rust and corrosion in individual parts. Swapping them out if only part of the issue. The technician needs to address the source of the problem before the corrosion will stop.
For all of these problems and many more, you can count on Reliance Plumbing to perform fast and efficient repairs.