There are several signs to show your hot water isn’t so hot anymore. Sometimes these can be simple fixes when caught early. Other times there is just no hope and its time to lay your water heat to rest.
Signs your heater is not feeling the best.
- Water pooling around the bottom. This can be a leaking pipe or could be coming from the seal around the element. Elements are much cheaper to replace than a whole heater. If the water is left to leak around the element, the element bolts will eventually rust out and the only way forward is to replace the water heater.
- Warm water instead of hot. This can be a sign that the element or thermostat are not working correctly and need to be replaced.
Signs she’s a goner.
- You hear a Bang like a small explosion. Believe it or not sometimes these things can make one loud bag. We had one earlier this week in Mudgeereba that made 2 loud bangs, the first one the owner noticed but didn’t investigate to much as they thought it was a bird running into a window or something. Then she heard another loud bang and ran out to see what it was and found her heater on the floor. If you ever find yourself in this situation please do not go near the heater and be mindful of water pooling around it, as there could be a risk of being electrocuted If you can, safely access your electricity box and turn the hot water switch off from the main so you make the area safe and wait for us to arrive so we can ensure all is well or we can contact an electrician if needed.
- Water is leaking from the top or bottom of the heater. Once the tank has a hole in it, there is no real way to repair it as its generally a sign it has rusted out.
- It looks deformed. Sometimes heaters can explode and you won’t know but you will notice that it looks deformed, and there may be some signs of leakage as well.
- Rusty or brown coloured water. This is a sign the water heater has rusted out on the inside, and it is only a matter of time before it starts leaking. Rusty coloured water can also be around in old homes that have gal used as main water lines instead of copper so if you have and older home just be aware this could be the case.
Preventatives for Hot Waters Systems.
You can stretch the life of your water heater every 5 years by putting in what is known as a sacrificial anode. These are put in the water tanks to prevent rusting, they are used as a sacrifice for the tank. But once these are used up rust starts to build up in the tank. However at about 4 to 5 years you can replace these and it will extend your tanks life significantly.
Have questions on Hot Water systems? Send them our way! Contact us at AJB Plumbing via our contact form we are happy to help you out!
