Water heaters give us one of life’s great luxuries. When your water heater stops working, it’s never at a convenient time. At Rivers Plumbing, we want our Pleasanton, CA homeowners to be able to spot the warning signs that something may be wrong with their water heater before their shower scalds or freezes them. Our experts put together this water heater primer to help you understand your heater, what it’s telling you, and when it’s time to call for help.
How It Works
Water heaters work on a simple concept. Water enters the home, and your unit heats it as you need. Conventional tank heaters keep water between 120° and 140°, while tankless heaters heat the water as you use it. Tanks heat the water using an electric or gas-powered element. A thermostat allows you to control the temperature manually or set an automatic schedule.
Identifying Issues
A few things could go wrong in your water heater, and knowing what they are can help you spot them early. If the heater isn’t working, it could be a simple issue like a tripped breaker or the pilot light went out. Something external could have cut off power or gas. The thermostat might be off or broken, which you can determine by examining it. These simple fixes can be tackled by a plumber quickly and inexpensively. However, they could just be signs of a more serious problem.
Time to Replace
Older tank heaters are exposed to a lot of water, meaning a lot of minerals pass through the system. These minerals interact with the steel inside the tank, eventually leading to corrosion and leaks. Heating elements could short or crack and pilot lights could be damaged when accidentally bumped. Older tanks lose heat retention over time, forcing their system to work harder and increasing the likelihood of failure. Tankless heaters contain numerous electrical and motorized parts, increasing the chance something going wrong. Any of these reasons are signs your tank may need to be replaced, but only a professional can tell for sure.
To have your tank inspected or to have a plumber come out to check out problems you’ve spotted, give our expert professionals at River Plumbing in Pleasanton, CA a call today.