How Water Heater Repair Can Make Your Family Safer | Oak Ridge, TN
As an Oak Ridge, TN homeowner, it is very possible that the last thing on your mind is your water heater. Unfortunately, most people take their home’s hot water supply for granted, and rarely consider water heater repair or maintenance until they are shot with an icy blast of cold water in place of the nice warm water they were showering with.
But, water heater repair is not something that should wait until your Oak Ridge, TN home’s water heater starts acting strange or stops working completely. As a matter of fact, it should be an important part of your home’s annual maintenance program. If you are wondering why, the answer is quite simple. When you provide timely and adequate water heater repair, you will ensure your family is safe. Not only this, you will also save money on costly repairs that could result from a major breakdown or the need for a complete replacement of your heater. In this article, we will cover the reasons why water heater repair is important for the safety of your family and property, as well as certain warning signs that indicate that your water heater is in trouble and will need immediate water heater repair by a professional. Let’s take a look.
Know the Warning Signs
It is easy to take your water heater for granted, even when it is already showing signs of trouble. The easiest way to figure out if you need water heater repair is to know the warning signs to look out for. Nothing breaks down suddenly, and water heaters in Oak Ridge, TN usually give out subtle signs that let you know something is going to happen quite soon. Allowing the problem to continue and fester without providing adequate attention to its repair, will always result in having to invest more money in getting the final issue repaired, or, if the damage to your water heater is catastrophic, the complete replacement of your unit.
Additionally, even though most water heaters are built to last anywhere from six to 15 years, the specific conditions under which it has been installed, used, and maintained, can lead it to age sooner than similar units subjected to different circumstances. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the warning signs that you should know before your water heater malfunctions completely.
There Is No Hot Water Coming Out of Your Fixtures
One of the most obvious signs of the need for water heater repair in Oak Ridge, TN is the complete lack of hot water. You might notice it as you wash the dishes, or as we mentioned above, when you are in the middle of a shower and you are suddenly hit by a stream of freezing water. No matter how you come to figure it out, a lack of hot water is a sure sign of trouble. When this happens, the first thing you should do is check if your water heater is actually on, and the thermostat is working. In some cases, the pilot light might be out, or the thermostat might have been reset without you noticing. But, if you have checked these things and your water heater is still not performing as it should, your next step should be to call for professional water heater repair. Keep in mind that you should never attempt to fix your Oak Ridge, TN home’s water heater by yourself if you have never been trained to do so. While you may be tempted to get the job done on your own with the help of that awesome video you found online, the truth is that you will probably cause even more damage to your unit. Water heater repair is also dangerous, regardless of whether your water heater runs on electricity or natural gas, so choose the safest option and call an expert for help.
Your Hot Water Is Flowing Less Efficiently Than Usual
Another big sign of trouble is a reduced flow of hot water coming from your fixtures. The reduction may start so slowly that you barely notice anything wrong, but when it is reduced to a very slim output, you can be quite sure that something is cooking in your water heater, and it certainly isn’t breakfast. The most common cause for a reduced flow of hot water coming from your water heater is the buildup of scale and sediment inside your water heater’s tank. This particular issue is quite common in areas in which hard water is the norm. It happens when the excess minerals in the water start accumulating and building up inside your tank. If you allow the problem to continue without calling a professional water heater repair technician for help, it can result in the complete loss of your water heater. A water heater repair pro will be able to flush and clean your tank, ridding it of unwanted sediment and buildup, resulting in the return of your home’s normal hot water flow.
Your Hot Water Has a Strange Color or a Weird Smell
You would probably never swim in a pool that looks dirty or stinks of rotten food, would you? If not, it is highly likely that you wouldn’t want to take a shower or wash your dishes with water that looks dirty or rusty, and even less if that water smells bad. Water discoloration and a strange smell could be indicators of trouble brewing in the recesses of your water heater. In any case, a strange color or smell could indicate that your tank is starting to rust or that there is bacterial growth inside of it. In this case, it will take a knowledgeable water heater repair specialist to take a look at it in order to reach an adequate diagnosis. This will help you determine whether your water heater can be successfully repaired by changing out the anode, which helps keep bacteria at bay, or your tank has rusted extensively and the time to find a replacement has finally arrived. Keep in mind that while rust will not really affect your health, bacterial growth can severely hamper your family’s health and well-being. Because of this, it is important to have the problem fixed as soon as possible.
You Hear Strange Noises Coming from Your Unit
Water heaters are very large appliances, and they make plenty of noise. But not all noises are created equally, and they can signify a variety of things, from normal operation to imminent malfunction. The trick is to learn what noises your water heater makes during its day-to-day operations. This will help you determine when a noise you hear is just not right. For example, a loud click or a whoosh coming from your gas-powered water heater usually means that the flame has ignited and it is heating the water in the tank. On the other hand, loud banging noises coming from inside the tank are a sign of trouble and you should call a water heater repair professional as soon as possible. Allowing this situation to remain unattended can be dangerous and may cause costly damages to your property, as well as potentially injure any person in the vicinity of the water heater if anything major results from the noises. Other noises to listen out for are gurgling, crackling, whining, crackling, and popping. Any of these noises are a sign of trouble brewing and will require the help of a reputable water heater repair service.
You Find Unexplained Leaks
Did you discover water pooling under your water heater? Maybe you actually found it dripping. Regardless of how you found the water, a leaking water heater is definitely not something to take lightly, and you should contact a reputable water heater repair technician as quickly as you can. A leaking water heater, if left unattended, can cause serious damage to your property, which can be very expensive to repair. So, no matter how small the leak may seem, once you see it, get help right away.
The Tank Looks Rusted
If your current water heater is getting on in years or has been subjected to a lot of stress and external humidity, it may start to rust. If left to continue, the situation might become serious enough that there won’t be any way to salvage your appliance. Once you detect signs of rust on your tank, your best bet is to contact a reputable water heater repair company to diagnose the severity of the problem and determine whether it can still be repaired or if you are looking at the possibility of having to find a replacement.
The Temperature of Your Water Fluctuates
While it can be very obvious when your water heater isn’t providing you with any hot water, temperature variations are harder to detect. One way in which these variations will make themselves known is when you are in the shower or washing your dishes, and your water suddenly starts getting colder. Even if it eventually gets hot again, a fluctuation in temperature can point to a problem with your water heater’s element, which will require attention from a water heater repair specialist.
Keeping Your Family Safe
Nothing is worth more than the safety of your family, which is one good reason to keep your home’s water heater in good working order. While breakdowns may not be a frequent occurrence, they can, and will, happen unexpectedly. In order to stave off any problems, which usually happen at the most inconvenient times, it is worth investing your money in a regular maintenance program performed by a repair expert.
Maintenance, while seemingly cursory and unnecessary, can prevent a wide range of issues that could lead you to require a replacement water heater when you haven’t planned or budgeted for it. Additionally, the damage caused by a malfunctioning water heater can extend beyond just wet floors. There have been cases in which an old water heater that was not given any preventative maintenance, exploded, and flooded the property, damaging the structure and injuring those that were in its vicinity at the time of the explosion.
If your water heater is powered by natural gas, you should also look out for the smell of rotten eggs, which could point to a gas leak that could be extremely dangerous to those living in your home. It is also recommended you call a water heater repair professional if you notice the flame burning bright yellow, instead of the normal blue color, because it could be indicative of a carbon monoxide leak, especially in older water heaters.
The main value of maintenance is the fact that it is designed to thoroughly inspect your water heater, looking for certain potentially troublesome areas, and ensuring they won’t be malfunctioning in the immediate future. This means that you can fix any problems before they start causing you grief. Of course, you should keep in mind that sometimes your water heater could be beyond repair. This is true for very old units, or those that have rusted to a point of no return. When this happens, you can talk to the repair professional, who can give you good information as to which options you have, what brand is best, and answer any questions you could have. It is also a good idea to start planning for the replacement of a water heater that requires constant repairs, because it may be more expensive to continue fixing it than to just get a new one.
Whether you are in need of water heater repair or are simply looking into providing a regular maintenance schedule to the water heater in your Oak Ridge, TN home, your best bet is to give the experts at My Professional Plumber a call. With many years of experience in the industry, you can rest easy knowing that their knowledgeable and professional technicians will work hard at keeping your family safe from the possible consequences of a water heater malfunction. So, when the water in your Oak Ridge, TN home starts getting cold, or your water heater starts acting up, don’t wait too long and give us a call as soon as you can!
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