The water heater is an essential household item for everyone nowadays. Especially during the winter season, the water heater makes our life easier by supplying hot water on demand. There has been continuous development in the designs of these heaters. At first, water heaters were made with the storage tank system. Later tankless water heater has been designed to heat the water heater instantly and not depending on the storage water anymore. Because of this feature, water heaters have become easily movable and can be used anytime, anywhere. There are many good brands of the water heater in the market like Rheem, Rinnai, Bosch, EcoTemp, Eco touch, etc. These brands offer you various types of features with different prices in their products. It depends on the users to decide which product they would choose based on their budget and demand. However, every device of these brands has a limited lifetime. These units may expire due to over usage or overheating or simply run off their lifespan. After that, it has to replaced to avoid any type of accidents. To know when we should change the device, we must look for some signs to be sure.
1. Age of the heater:
Your water heater has a serial number on the manufacturer’s sticker on the upper part of the unit. The first two digits mean the year it was made. If your heater is more than 10 years old according to the company website, then you should start thinking about changing it. If the heater is placed in such a spot where no leakages can quickly occur and bring any sort of damages, you must replace it. And if the location is a dangerous position and can cause a sudden accident, it is high time to replace the unit. It would help if you flushed your heater frequently to elongate it’s run time.
2. Rusty and smelly Water:
Your heater is supplying rusty water, it means there is a chance of the heater decaying inside, and leakage might occur in the near future. You could also have a galvanized piping system resulting in rust in pipes. To be sure, taken 3 or 4 five gallon tub or drum and fill them with water. By the third bucket, if the water from your unit is still coming out rusty, then most likely, the water heater is at fault. If you see rust only when the hot water is on, then a new water heater is needed. Magnesium, aluminum, or zinc anode rod could stop the rusting of the unit. Even after using the rods, if your heater water looks dirty or tastes metallic, you need to get a new water heater as soon as possible. It happens less with the ones who use natural gas to run the heater. They are also more energy-efficient than electricity, and the cost is also stable rather than continually changing due to the demand flow. The gas ones are also quicker in heating water than the electric ones.
3. Rumbling and noise:
When the water heater gets old, the dust gets clustered up on the bottom of the device. And with each heating process, the dust layer gets hardened. Due to this, buzzing and thudding sounds are heard coming from the unit during the heating process. Which indicates the heater is about to get dead. Because the dust layer will make the heater use more gas or energy to produce hot water, which decreases the efficiency of the heater. Due to the extra time used for heating, the eater can wear down the tank and make holes in the body resulting in rumbling sounds. Which ultimately causes leakage making it urgent to replace the heater.
4. Leaks:
Simple observation can confirm if your water heater is having any issues with leakage. When your heater is turned on, look for water drops around the base of the unit. If you see water drops or poodles around it, your heater has leak issues. The hardened dust layer can make friction against the tank body.
Which can crack or break the inside of the tank?
Metal heats it spread, and if it has any holes, water will start to leak from the tank. And when the metal cools down, the leakage will stop. But before replacing the tank, check if there are any other leaks in the fittings or adjustment of the container. The temperature and the pipe pressures should be checked often to make sure there are no leaks. If leaks appear, replace the tank by an expert as leaks can go bad in no time and make accidents before you have the chance to blink based on where the heater is situated.
5. Not Enough Hot Water:
The main work of your water heater is to produce hot water when you need it. But if your water is coming out cold when you need it, it is time to think about replacement. The most common sign of your water heater being damaged is the less flow of hot water. Keep it in mind that every water heater has limited ability, and it will ultimately stop producing hot water. The frequent use of a heater can make it slow in heating water.
Accumulated silt on the heater makes it tough to heat the water. A heater usually starts decaying when it is near its expiration date. The cause behind the issues may be misadjusted thermostat, spoilt heat tools, or tank size too small for the house. In some cases, a simple service can make the heater smoothly work again. You have to check thoroughly to make sure if it needs repairing or a full replacement.
Most of the time, a repair can be done by the owner without any expert help. But if the heater needs replacement, you should consider before buying a new one. As has been mentioned earlier in this article, there are several brands of water heater all over the world. Whether you want the same old model or a new option to use, you have to choose very carefully before spending money.