what might be wrong with my water heater?

Have you noticed that your water doesn’t stay as hot as it did before? Or maybe you hear a light popping on your water heater? These are signs that you may need to service your water heater or get a new one. In this day and age, water heaters are part of our everyday lives, from washing our hands to washing dishes. Hot water is essential to us all. So, when our water heaters start acting up, what can you do? What can you look out for, so it doesn’t happen again? Well, we’ve got you covered. Here are some signs you can look out for:

• Temperature change
• popping noises coming from inside the water heater
• Rust anywhere on the water heater
• The water heater is turning off by itself.
• A water heater is over 10 years old without proper maintenance.
• The water heater is leaking.
• Rust colored water coming out of faucets

So, what happens when you run into one or more of these problems?

Call your trusted, licensed plumber and get them to your house at your earliest convenience to take a look. Most of these issues can be solved by descaling the water heater or by replacing parts, but if your water heater is over 10 years old and was never properly maintained, you should look into getting a new one. 

Now that your plumber has seen your water heater, he may tell you that your heating element went out, the burner assembly is dirty, or you need a new anode rod. You might be thinking, Okay, but what is that? Here is a list of problems you might have with your water heater, with descriptions to help you navigate what is wrong with your water heater. 

• Heating element: A heating element is a device that uses electricity to heat up the water in your water heater. This is a simple fix.
• Anode rod: An anode rod is a long magnesium or aluminum rod that is put into the water heater tank to attract corrosive elements. Without this rod, the steel water heater tank will attract all the sediment and cause your unit to corrode. This is also an easy fix in most cases.
• Thermostat: A thermostat regulates the water heater’s temperature. Changing it out is another easy fix.
• Burner assembly:  Is an important part responsible for heating the water inside the tank. The fix is fairly simple.
• Rust colored water is when your anode rod stops working properly and corrosion has eaten away at your tank lining. You will need a new water heater.
• popping noise: the popping noise in your water heater is sediment. You will need to flush it out. But if it continues, you will need to get a new water heater soon.

So in conclusion, not every water heater issue is cause for a new one; sometimes the unit just needs new parts and some TLC. To make sure you get the most out of your water heater, make sure you descale it annually and change out the anode rod every 4-6 years, depending on the hardness of the water. With life being as busy as ever, the last thing you want to worry about is, “Why isn’t my water heating up?”