Knowing how some things work in your home can help you better understand what can go wrong with these machines and appliances. When something breaks or malfunctions on this machine, it could benefit you to have an idea about what needs to be fixed. At the very least, when you do hire a professional to come repair it, you can have a better understanding of the explanation of the problem, since you’ll be familiar with the way that it works.
Basically, you will need to understand a few steps to really appreciate the service that your water heater provides. With a tank usually large enough to hold 40-60 gallons of water at a time, you get quite a bit of water heating to be prepared for the next time you need to take a shower, to use your dishwasher or are just in need of hot water.
Pipes bring the water to the heater. A network of piping branches off to the rest of your house and while one pipe takes hot water back out of the heater. Within this drum, there is a thermostat to regulate the temperature of the water itself. A dip tube feeds the cool or cold water from the pipes through the heating tank. There is a heating element at the bottom of this tank that heats up this cool water. As this occurs, the hottest water will be at the top of the tank, as hotter water is less dense than cold water. This process allows for the hottest available water to be the first sent out through the pipes when a faucet, shower head or machine demands hot water. The dip tube is long and feeds out into the bottom of the tank, while the tube carrying hot water out of the tank is shorter, close to the top of the tank. So the water continues to fill as the tank is emptied, pushing the hottest available water up the tank and out the tube.
Got more questions for a plumber? Need the services of a courteous plumber for your water heater needs? Jim Wagner Plumbing, Inc. provides same day installation on residential and commercial water heaters throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Our licensed plumbers have heaters in stock on their trucks and can often be dispatched to your home as soon as your service is scheduled. Call us today at (630) 577-9241 or (815) 609-1859!
