Watch for These Warning Signs Your Water Heater Needs Repairs

Watch for These Warning Signs Your Water Heater Needs Repairs

You never want a water heater malfunction to catch you by surprise. This could mean having to go without a hot shower in the morning, and that’s one of the worst ways to start your day. You can’t predict all water heater troubles, but the good news is that you can anticipate many of them. All it takes is knowing what warning signs you need to watch for and then calling our experts for prompt water heater service in Bensalem, PA.

Quick action not only prevents losing your hot water, it also keeps the problem from getting worse and even leading to possible water damage in your home. In the worst-case scenarios, the repair will get so large you’ll need to replace the water heater rather than repair it.

Below are some of the more common warning signs of a water heater malfunction.

Rumbling and kettling from the tank

These are sounds you may hear from your water heater tank when it’s not working properly. Kettling is a kind of popping and whistling sound that resembles the noise made by a kettle. Although both noises can feel alarming, the water heater is unlikely to burst. However, you’ll still want to act fast to have technicians investigate the problem. Potential reasons for these sounds include excess sediment in the tank, a broken dip tube, or the water in the tank overheating.

Discoloration in your hot water

When you turn on the hot water taps in your house, are you noticing a reddish discoloration or black flakes in the water? If so, call for water heater repairs immediately. The problem may be sediment in the tank, but it could also warn of rust starting to develop, and rust needs to be dealt with fast before the whole tank needs replacement.

A drop in water temperature

If you’re still getting warm water from your taps, but it doesn’t get as hot as you need it, the first thing to do is to check the temperature setting on the water heater’s aquastat. It should be at least 120°F but not higher than 140°F. Be cautious about changing this setting, as you may create an inadvertent scalding danger. If the setting is correct, call for repairs to see where the unit is losing its heating capacity.

Leaks anywhere

Never ignore leaks from the water heater, no matter how “small” they may look! The only place where a water heater should drip water is a small amount from the pressure release valve. If water is leaking from the tank or any of the connections, you’ll want them repaired as soon as possible.

A decline in hot water volume

Your hot water is the right temperature, but it’s running out faster than normal. As long as your water heater was correctly sized when it was installed, it should be able to meet your daily hot water needs. If this is no longer the case, call our repair experts to find out why the hot water volume has dropped.

For water heater service, call Dowd Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning: A Degree Above the Rest.

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