Water heaters are designed to be hardy, in order to cope with the incredible amount of demand they are placed under on a daily basis. If you think about how often you make use of hot water in your home every day, you’ll quickly start to get an idea of how much strain your water heater has to deal with. Even with consistent preventive maintenance, though, you can’t completely protect your water heater from problems. At some point, you will almost certainly have to deal with some kind of issue with your water heater. What’s important is that you be able to recognize when your water heater is experiencing issues. The faster you can recognize that your water heater is having trouble, the faster you can get it repaired and the more damage you can prevent. Keep an eye out for the following problems that can afflict your water heater.
Leaks
Every once in a while, you should give your water heater a brief once-over to check for leaks. Leaks are very common with water heaters, and can happen for any number of reasons. It’s possible that part of the system has rusted to the point that a leak has opened (you should always have a professional check any rust spots you notice on your system.) Leaks also occur in valves and other areas, where the seal around those parts may have weakened. Regardless, what’s important is that you not ignore even the smallest leaks you find. Small leaks have a way of turning into larger leaks over time, and if not dealt with, they can even cause tank ruptures if located in the right place.
Sediment Buildup
Homes that have a problem with hard water (which is quite common across the country) will often have sediment build up in their water heaters over time. This is especially common in tank water heaters, which keep a large quantity of water stored at any given time. Sediment buildup on the bottom of the tank will eventually insulate the water in the tank from the heat from the burner assembly. This will cause the output of the system to drop significantly. Typically, the storage tank is flushed out during maintenance appointments to avoid this exact problem. If it’s been a while since your last maintenance appointment, though, you may have more sediment buildup than usual. If you notice your water heater output is lower than it usually is, you should call for professional services.
These are just a couple of the main issues that water heaters can be afflicted with. There are many more that you might run into. It’s important that you call for repairs any time you suspect that something might be wrong with your water heater, even if you can’t quite put your finger on what’s wrong.
Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating &Plumbing offers comprehensive water heater repair services in Potomac, MD. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians. We’ll make sure that your water heater is in good shape.