When to Replace Your Water Heater
Wouldn’t it be great if all of the essentials in your home lasted forever? As it is, though, heaters, air conditioners, plumbing components, and water heaters take on a lot of wear and tear, which means these systems will need replacement in a matter of time. It can be tough to tell when any of these hidden components in your home, like a water heater, will need replacement.
You need your water heater to work year-round—whether cold or 100°F outside—so it can take on a lot of wear and tear over the years. Because it’s hidden from view, you might need some help knowing when it’s showing signs of failing so that you can schedule that replacement.
Any Signs the Tank Is Leaking
When the tank of your water heater is leaking, it means trouble. Corrosion occurs when rust begins to take hold of your water heater, and there’s no stopping it once it begins. Your water heater has multiple safeguards to prevent corrosion, including a tank liner and a sacrificial anode rod, but these components need to be properly maintained to hold up. Otherwise, your tank may be done sooner than expected.
However, we’d like to make it clear that this is only the case if the tank is what’s leaking—not if there is leaking from another component of the water heater. For example, leaking from the drain or temperature-and-pressure valves likely means a single valve needs replacement—not the whole tank!
When You Run Out of Hot Water Too Soon
Another sign that a water heater is failing is when it cannot provide enough hot water for your household. If you’ve got two showers and a 5-person household, two people should be able to successfully finish overlapping showers without worrying about running out of hot water. This isn’t always the case.
Your water heater may not be the proper size for your home if you run out of water sooner than expected (especially if this has been true since you first installed it). Your home has two showers for a reason, and you shouldn’t have to put up with timing showers or waiting hours between them. Make sure you choose a qualified contractor to pick out your new water heater and see that it’s the proper size for your household so this doesn’t happen again.
When Your Tank Is Getting Old
If your hot water tank is nearing about 10-15 years of age, it may be time to consider a replacement. The sooner, the better with these sorts of things, or else you might be caught without your water heater when you need it most.
It might be hard to let go of an older water heater if it might have a few good years left, and it could just be that it needs a good tune-up if it’s not working properly. However, if you have an older water heater that has trouble keeping up with temperatures and costs you a lot of money to run, it probably makes the most sense to replace it now and avoid a breakdown later. Besides, a new high-efficiency tank should help you save a lot of money each month.
Contact Frymire Home Services for exceptional water heater services in Dallas, TX, ensuring superior comfort.
