Water heaters are huge contributors to the quality of life in your home.
You don’t really realize how much you depend on hot water until something happens and you don’t have it anymore. Some water heater issues have pretty obvious symptoms, like a total loss of heat, while others are a lot more subtle. Regardless, it is a good idea to learn to recognize signs of a water heater issue well before a complete breakdown. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can identify a water heater problem before it’s too late.
Discolored Water
Brown or red water coming out of your faucets is a sign of advanced oxidization somewhere in your plumbing. This is an indication of an especially serious problem if it can be traced back to the water heater. Water heaters, especially those with storage tanks, are extremely vulnerable to rust from the large amount of water that they handle. To protect against this, water heaters typically include sacrificial anode rods inserted into the tanks. The anode rod is a long metal rod, designed to attract rust to itself instead of the walls of the tank. Once the anode rod has corroded enough, however, it needs to be replaced or the corrosion will spread to the tank. If you are getting discolored water from your water heater, call a professional right away. Water heaters with corrosion that advanced run the risk of rupturing and flooding the surrounding area.
Temperature Fluctuations
Water heaters can have trouble keeping up with demand, depending on how many people need hot water at once. This can cause the occasional sudden drop in water temperature, but there is a difference between running out of hot water and constantly uneven heat. If your water heater seems unable to provide water above a lukewarm temperature, or swings back and forth between hot and cold water, then you definitely have a problem. You’ll need to call a professional to examine your water heater.
If your water heater is acting up, call At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air. We provide water heater repair services throughout Salt Lake City.