Water heater is just like all other plumbing fixtures. They usually last for many years, with a need for simple repairs every once in a while.
When you buy a new water heater, you can generally rest assured that it will work hard for a long time. However, there are signs that your water heater cannot be repaired anymore. We asked water heater installation pros for telling signs that a home water heater needs to be replaced.
The answers they gave us are applicable to old-style and modern water heaters, so better check yours later after reading this post. Here are the top 3 signs that you need to replace your water heater.
Corrosion Around the Pipes
If your water heater has been there for 10 years or more, no wonder you need to replace it. But what’s the actual sign that you need to install a new water heater? Expert plumbers say, “When you see corrosion around the pipes.”
Corrosion is the deterioration of the metal components of your water heater, which produces visual signs of rust and damage. The reason behind corrosion is a water leak seeping through the pipe fittings.
When your water heater is very old, expect that its parts have already developed damage, including the pipes connected to it. A little opening on the pipe will allow water to continually come out and damage the metal parts of the water heater, resulting in corrosion.
You need to replace your water heater when corrosion already manifests because once the metal parts are corroded, the whole water heater will continue to deteriorate.
Always Takes Too Long To Produce Hot Water
Another sign that you need to replace your water heater is when it’s always slow in heating up water. If the slow production of hot water only happens once or twice, a minor repair can solve the problem.
But if you keep getting lukewarm or cold water for your water heater every day, chances are, the heating elements inside are already broken and completely damaged, causing the malfunction. If this is the case, a simple repair or replacement of the parts may not be enough.
Take note that you need the expert opinion of a professional plumber to decide whether you need to install a new water heater or repair the parts of your existing water heater. Better call them for help if you’ve been experiencing slow hot water production from your heater for weeks or months.
Increasing Electric Bills
Have you checked your electric bills lately? Are they rising lately even when you use the same amount of electricity all over your house? If you haven’t replaced your water heater for 10 years and you see an unexplainable increase in your electric bill, start suspecting your water heater to be the culprit.
When water heaters get old, they start to slow down and work inefficiently. This means that an old water heater is using much more electricity to heat up water than it used to.
In cases like this, you must decide whether you’ll set aside a portion of your budget to replace your water heater with a new one or stick with the old water heater but endure the rising electric bill every month.
While thinking about it, consider the fact that replacing your old water heater with a new and water-efficient model may be expensive at first, but it will also save you tons of cash on a month-by-month basis. Compare a one-time big-time plumbing cost to a lifetime of ballooning electric bills.
Aside from conserving energy and lowering your bills, modern and efficient water heaters have exciting features that will benefit you and your family. Installing a new water heater will also keep your family safe from the possible harm brought by worn out parts.