If your heat isn’t working as efficiently, you may not notice it right away. However, if your water heater stops working the same way it used to, it’s noticeable almost immediately. Certainly, there are problems with the actual unit that you should be noticing, but there’s nothing that can ruin your day more than stepping into a cold shower than you’re used to. Before that happens, here’s how to tell if you need a new water heater.
- Shorter, Colder Showers – If you’ve noticed that the hot water in your house is lasting less and less time, it may be one of two things. The first is that it might be a buildup on silt and minerals in your water heater and it needs to be drained. However, if you’ve already done that and it’s still getting chillier during your morning shower, the second could be that your water heater isn’t up to par anymore.
- Age of Your Water Heater – Water heaters over ten to fifteen years old should be considered for replacement; that’s just one of the unfortunate side effects of homeownership. Over the years, your water heater begins to break down and become not as reliable. If your water heater is approaching the ten year mark, but isn’t causing too many problems, consider it. If you’re at the fifteen year mark, be proactive and get a new one soon.
- Leaks – If your water heater is leaking, it’s time to replace it before it does some serious damage. Sure, if it’s tucked away in a corner of the basement where a small leak isn’t really going to hurt anything, it’s easy to forget about. However, if it develops a serious leak, you’re not going to be able to think about anything else. Despite the hassles of chilly showers and dishwashers that aren’t working properly, you run the risk of doing serious damage to your home.
- Discoloration – If your water is coming out brown, the situation is about as good as it looks. Brown water is indicative of rust, and rust means your water heater isn’t cutting it anymore. If you’re noticing the color, smell, or taste of your water getting worse, it’s time to start looking around for a new water heater.
- Noise – Normally, you’ll hear a little bit of feedback from your water heater. You’ll hear it working, essentially. However, if you’re starting to hear cracks and pops from it, that’s not good. It’s usually trying to tell you something at the point that it starts making odd noises, and what it’s trying to say is “replace me!”.
If you need to put your water heater out of its misery and step into a nice hot shower again, contact us. We have several options available for new water heaters!
