Signs Your Water Heater Needs Maintenance
The hot water heater in your home is a vital part of life, and an undetected problem could cause many unwanted effects for you and your family. It is important to pay attention to abnormal occurrences events concerning your hot water tank. The process of repair will vary based on whether you have a gas or electric water heater. There are two main warning signs of a problem. These include a lack of available hot water and leaking pipes. If you have no hot water, you may be experiencing a much larger problem. You should always check to ensure that the hot water heater thermostat is set correctly prior to calling a professional. Oftentimes, the temperature setting is changed inadvertently.
One of the first signs of a problem is a decrease in the amount of available hot water over a given amount of time. Even if you have a large water heater, there may be an unseen problem causing a lack of hot water. One cause of this is limescale buildup. Limescale develops at the bottom of the water tank. This does two things. First, the heat in the tank comes from the bottom and if limescale is in the way, the heat must go through it first in order to reach the water. Second, if the buildup continues, the space for water in the tank decreases. This means less hot water will be available. The second cause of lack of hot water is corrosion in the cold water dip tube. If this happens, the cold water going into the tank no longer enters at the bottom of the tank, where the heat is. Instead, the cold water mixes in with the previously heated water at the top of the tank.
The second sign of a problem is leaking pipes. Over time, even the most expensive copper pipes begin to corrode and rust. This often results in a leak. Plastic pipes may leak if the glue joining them to the water source begins to dissolve. If either of these events occur, a professional should be contacted in order to determine any deeper problems caused by the leak.
Is the water heater in your Naperville home in need of repairs? Call Jim Wagner Plumbing, Inc. at (630) 577-9241 and schedule a service call today!
