Common Water Heater Issues
Like most other residents in the Pacific Northwest, residents of Lake Oswego get to enjoy the experience of plentiful, refreshing rains with the comfort of a constant hot water supply at home. That is, assuming they have a water heater that can meet their demands.
Water heaters are often taken for granted. That’s because, with regular maintenance by a licensed and experienced plumbing contractor like PNW Plumbers, they can function continuously for at least a decade, if for two. If homeowners stay on top of regular maintenance, most water heaters do their job unnoticed. When homeowners don’t keep up with their maintenance, however, bad things can happen. These include:
- Insufficient hot water
- No hot water at all
- Water that’s too hot
- Leaky hot water pipes
- Cloudy or discolored water
- Strange Odor
- Unusual sounds
- Failing pilot light or burner
Any one of the above symptoms is indicative of a failing water heater. While it’s possible to hold off on certain repairs, others might require emergency plumber if you want your water use to normalize.
Tank or Tankless Heaters
We often get asked about tankless water heaters and whether or not they’re “better.” Our answer for most folks who ask us is, “it really depends.” While tankless water heaters do have their benefits, for some households, they’re not always the game-changer that was hoped for.
Depending on things like water use, the home’s layout and water supply, and of course their budgetary restrictions – tank, or “storage” water heaters can make a lot of sense.
Tank or Storage Water Heaters
Storage water heaters are what most people think of when they think “water heater.” The tall, silver-grey cylinder tucked away in a closet that makes noises sometimes. They get their name from how they provide hot water – via a storage tank that heats it up. Most storage water heaters hold between 20-80 gallons of water and when the water gets used, it gets refilled by the normal water supply. But with the average person using anywhere from 40-100 gallons of water per day, and much of it being used for hot showers, dishwashers, and laundry, quick replenishment of a hot water heater after use becomes a real consideration.
Tankless Heaters
And it’s for that reason, that many households go with tankless water heaters. Tankless, otherwise known as ”demand-type” water heaters, provide an endless flow of hot water. If everything is working correctly, there’s never a moment where heat isn’t available. That does not mean that all problems are taken care of with a tankless unit, however. Because where they fall short compared storage water heaters, is that their output can be stretched pretty thin, pretty quickly.
Water Heater Services
Regardless of the type of water heater or water heating system that’s used, they won’t do you much good without expert installation. On top of that, any kind of water heater is subject to premature failure if not maintained correctly.
And because our goal is to never leave you disappointed with a new or replaced water heater, we figure out what’s best for you right from the get-go. Here are some of the other options we might suggest depending on your needs.
- Tankless Water Heaters
- Storage or Tank Water Heaters
- Natural Gas Water Heaters
- Propane Water Heaters
- Electric Water Heaters
- Repipes and main water line replacement
- Oil Water Heaters
- Combination and Indirect Water Heaters
- Hot water recirculation pumps for instant hot water
- Solar water heating systems
Whether you’re seeking a consultation for a new water heater, or you need a full-home repipe, a main water line replacement, or anything plumbing-related, give a call to PNW Plumbers for high-integrity service that you can trust.