If there is any comfort system in your home that you take for granted, it’s probably your water heater. Think about it—you use it literally every day, but do you think about what it does for you every single day? Probably not. And without thinking about it, you may not notice when there’s a problem. Unfortunately, neglecting water heater repairs for too long can lead to a completely broken down system and subsequent premature replacement.
The quicker you get water heater problems fixed, the less damage that’s done to it and the more you can keep enjoying the fruits of its labor. But in order to get these issues fixed, you have to know that there are issues to begin with, right? Read on as we uncover 3 ways your water heater could be crying out for help, and give us a call if you notice any of these.
1) A Decline in Hot Water Output
If you take hour+ long showers each day or have household members running hot water at multiple points in your home at the same time, then it makes sense that you may exhaust all the hot water in your storage tank water heater at some point. But there’s a difference between this, and when your system can’t generate enough output for even a moderate amount of demand anymore. If you notice your water heater struggling to give you anything but lukewarm water, it can be a sign of a problem.
There are a couple different possible reasons this might occur. Sediment buildup in the tank, for instance, could be to blame. This is especially true if you live in a home that suffers from hard water. When mineral deposits form on the bottom of the storage tank, they can also coat the heat exchangers, essentially insulating them so that their heat never actually reaches the water that its meant to.
Another possibility is that you have the wrong temperature setting on your water heater. If you’ve had service done recently on your water heater or you flushed the tank yourself, this is a real possibility.
2) Sudden Changes in Temperature
The problem we talked about above involves a pretty steady and consistent decline in the amount of hot water reaching your taps. This problem has to do with a sudden change from hot to cold and back again. This can be caused by a couple different problems, with the most common culprit being a malfunctioning dip tube.
This component is a plastic tube that extends from the water line at the top of your tank down to the bottom of the tank. Fresh, cold water enters your water heater through this tube, and this is heated by the burner assembly at the bottom of the tank. So if the dip tube is malfunctioning or damaged, then cold water can leak into the hot water, which is how the problem occurs.
3) Leakage
You never want to see water leaking from your water heater! If you do see this, it’s time to call us for repairs right away. Even small leaks can grow bigger and more urgent. Depending on where they are located, they can cause considerable problems. Storage tank ruptures are possible here, which could lead to a complete system replacement. You can avoid this, though, but calling our team for prompt repairs.
For reliable water heater repair in Santa Fe, NM, contact Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing today!
