Do You Need A New Water Heater?

Here Are Five Signs To Watch For

A water heater is a lot like a lost love—you won’t appreciate it until it quits on you! But if you were paying attention along the way, the warning signs were there before long before things went down the drain.

While we won’t offer you relationship advice, we can offer some guidance on symptoms to watch for that may indicate that you need a new water heater. Here are the five most common ones.

The Aging Water Heater: Common Warning Signs

1. Rusty Water – Rusty water mostly likely means that your water heater’s storage tank is corroding from the inside. If that’s true, you could be close to experiencing a heating tank failure, which can cost thousands of dollars in damage.
2. Rumbling Noises – Rumbling sounds usually indicate a build-up of sediment. Storage tanks are pretty easy to flush, and you should do that at least once (preferably twice) a year. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, contact us-we’ll do it for you. If you attempt to flush your tank and it’s so filled with sediment that no water comes out when you open the valve, it’s time to install a new water heater.
3. Leaks – Metal in an older storage tank can crack, causing leaks around your water heater. If you see puddles when the water heater is in use, you probably have a leak – and you probably need a water heater replacement.
4. Cool Water – If your hot water isn’t consistently hot, it might only need a simple repair – but it could be a more significant problem. Contact us to have one of our water heater experts take a look.
5. Pilot Light Problems – If you have an older water heater, it might have a pilot light (most newer ones have electric ignition systems). A consistent pilot light problem is probably due to a faulty thermocouple or a problem gas valve. If your tank is outside the warranty, fixing either of these problems might not be worth the cost, especially when you consider the efficiency improvements you’ll realize with a new high-efficiency water heater.

Still not sure if you need a new water heater? We can help. Contact Fredericks Fuel & Heating Service today to learn more about water heater repair and water heater installations in NJ!