Water Heater Repair: What’s Wrong With Your Water Heater? | Carrollton, TX
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Every time you wake up in the morning, you depend on hot water to help you get your day started. If the water heater in your Carrollton, TX, home isn’t working as it should, your access to hot water is gone and your day becomes a lot more difficult. Not only should you have your water heater inspected regularly, you should have it replaced every so often to keep it in working order. If you’re thinking about calling a water heater repair expert because of a problem with your water heater, here’s what you need to know first.
How Long Do Water Heaters Last?
The first thing you have to understand if you’re considering calling a repair company is that your water heater wasn’t designed to last forever. Like most things in life, water heaters tend to wear down the more you use them, eventually needing to be replaced when things wear down beyond the point of repairs. So, how often should you be having your water heater replaced?
For the most part, water heaters are made to last about 10 to 12 years. If you take good care of your water heater and have soft water, yours may last a little bit longer. If you have hard water or use your water heater more than the average household, your water heater may fail sooner than 10 years.
Ultimately, it’s up to a repair expert to tell you whether or not it’s worth fixing your water heater or if you should just replace it. However, it’s often better to opt for a replacement considering the price of water heaters. Plus, you can upgrade to a more efficient model that saves you money on your energy bill.
Flushing Sediment
Water heaters are typical in the sense that if you want yours to last longer, you need to do a little bit of preventative maintenance. If you ask most homeowners, they don’t do any maintenance in between water heater replacements. However, simply having a water heater repair company flush the sediment out of your water heater every once in a while can make a big difference.
Corrosion is what kills the tank portion of your water heater, and it’s caused by the minerals and other things in your water. By flushing all the water out of your water heater and having the sediment removed, you’re reducing the speed at which the tank will corrode. This is an especially important step to take if you have hard water in your home, or water that has a high mineral content.
As far as how often you should have your water heater flushed, it depends. Most people can get away with having a water heater repair company flush their water heater every six months or so, but that’s assuming you have soft water. If your water is especially hard, you may want to have your tank flushed every couple months.
Sacrificial Anode Rod
As we mentioned previously, corrosion is often what ends the life of a water heater. That being said, preventing corrosion is the best way to ensure your water heater lasts a long time. The sacrificial anode rod inside your water heater is specifically designed for this purpose, but that also means it needs to be replaced occasionally.
The sacrificial anode rod in your water heater is designed to absorb any corrosion that would have otherwise affected the tank of your water heater. When the rod gets too corroded, the tank will start to corrode instead. You can prevent this from happening by having a water heater repair expert inspect your sacrificial anode and replace it when it starts to wear down too much.
You should have your sacrificial anode rod inspected by a water heater repair company at least every three years, although it’s a good idea to have it inspected yearly. The quicker you change the anode when it starts to wear down, the less your water heater tank is going to degrade over time.
Heating Elements
If you suddenly notice a loss of hot water in your or a severe drop in water temperature in your Carrollton, TX, home, it could be caused by a heating element. Every water heater is equipped with both an upper and a lower heating element which are responsible for making sure the water reaches a hot, safe temperature.
When a heating element fails, you’ll notice the water in your home isn’t nearly as hot. Not only is this an annoyance, it can be downright dangerous if bacteria is growing in the water. Water heater repair experts recommend keeping a constant water temperature of at least 120 degrees F to kill bacteria, which means anything lower than that is putting your health at risk.
Pressure Relief Valve
If you notice a little bit of leak coming from your water heater—especially if it’s on the side of the unit—chances are you have a problem with your pressure relief valve. The good news is, a water heater repair expert can replace the valve without too much trouble.
Aside from the relatively short install time, pressure relief valves are also very affordable. You can pick one up for somewhere around $15 or $20 for most water heaters, which is a lot less than you’ll pay for a new unit.
Call a Pro
If you think you have a problem with the water heater in your home, the best thing you can do is call a pro. A water heater repair company can help you get your problem fixed in a safe and affordable way.
Lucky for you, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas is here to help take care of the water heater in your home. Whether you need water heater repair, maintenance or installation, we do it all. Give bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas a call at (469) 214-2582 to find out more today.
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