Hot Water Heater Problems
Throughout your hot water heaters life, you may experience problems with it. For the most part, the more common problems are fairly easy to figure out, and easy to fix. Some of the most common water heater problems you may run into with your hot water heater is that the water is too hot or too cold, the water has the smell of rotten eggs, or the water heater tank is making noises. If you run into a more severe problem like tank is leaking, the only fix for that to replace the hot water heater.
The most average sizes for your typical hot water heater today are anywhere from 30 to 60 gallons with a cold water intake and a hot water outlet. They also have a drain valve and a few other components such as a heating element, a dip tube, and a sacrificial rod that helps prevent corrosion inside the tank.
If you do run into problems with your hot water heater, one of the things you will need to do in order to fix it most the time, is drain the hot water heater itself. The first step in doing this is to turn off the heater and then give the water some time to cool. Next you will need to close the cold water intake and attach a water hose to the drain valve that is located at the bottom of the tank. Before you attempt to drain your tank by opening the drain valve, it is important that you turn on hot water somewhere in your house allowing air to get into the tank while it drains.
A common hot water heater problem is water temperature. If you have no hot water at all, chances are the heating element may not be working properly. This is a replaceable component that you can do yourself. If your water is too hot or too cold, the thermostat may need to be changed. Or, it could be a simple matter of raising or lowering your thermostat to get your tank back to functioning properly again.
What are the noise that you hear coming from inside your hot water heater tank? Many times noises can be caused by a sediment build up to inside the tank which is causing the heating element to burn it. Another cause for your water heater making noise is that your heating element could be going out. Typically the noise is basically giving you a warning that it might be time to replace the heating element.
At some point in time, all water heaters have problems. You’ll have to worry about tankless water heater problems, gas water heater problems, propane water heater problems and even solar water heater problems. Nothing can last forever and eventually you will have problems with any water heater you install in your home. Just because you have problems, does not mean that your water heater necessarily has to be replaced. Take your time and diagnose the problem, it could save you a lot of money in the long run by simply replacing a part or component as opposed to replacing the entire unit.
