Broken Water Heaters
Here’s a riddle: What lives in your home and stays out of sight, but doesn’t go unnoticed? Answer: Your water heater.
For most homeowners, their water heater isn’t usually the first piece of equipment in the house that is thought of as “essential.” That is, until we wake up on a cold morning without it working, at which point it quickly earns a spot at the top of the list. Usually, it’s clear when the water heater is out, but in case it has never happened to you, here are a few of the normal symptoms to look out for:
- Lukewarm or Low Hot Water
- No Hot Water At All
- Piping Hot Water
- Water Heater Leakage
- Discolored Hot Water
- Odor from Pipes or Heating Unit
- Strange Sounds
- Failure of Burner or Pilot Light
If these problems go unchecked for too long there could be more issues than just the water heater. Your water heater is connected to the water lines that run underground. If there is an issue effecting your water heater it could start to effect the water lines as well. Damage to these are a lot more devastating than a simple water heater repair. Burst water pipes flooding your lawn or your home and needing a water line replacement is a lot more of a headache than calling a plumber to repair your water heater. The first time you have a water heater go out, it can be more devastating than you’d expect. While most of us can get away for a day or two without hot water, after the stove top showers get old, it’s time to call a plumbing contractor like PNW Plumbers.
Water Heater Services
If you’ve got a water heater in the middle of it’s life, there’s a good chance that its troubles can be fixed by repair, or simply by doing necessary maintenance. Below we cover the life cycle of the typical water heater and the typical services our technicians provide.
Water Heater Installation
The catalyst for very water heater’s journey is its initial installation. At this point, somebody made the determination of what kind of heater will do the job best, by estimating the levels of water usage that are typical for the given size of a home.
Water Heater Maintenance
With a durable unit and regular maintenance, a water heater spanning multiple decades is possible. To guarantee the best functionality of a water heater, a regular maintenance plan is a must. Especially true for storage water heaters, but also necessary for heaters in areas of “hard” water, following scheduled maintenance will hold off the need for repairs.
Water Heater Repair
It happened, your water heater is compromised. At this point, calling an experienced plumber with a specialization in water heaters is likely in the future. Upon arrival, your plumber will look at a few things to determine what kind of work needs to be done. These include: The type of water heater you have. Electrical water heaters may have different points of failure from propane heaters, and so on.
The symptoms of your water heater. Insufficient water heat tells you one thing, no hot water tells you something else. Odorous or discolored water means other problems entirely. Following the clues that your water heater provides will let your plumber know if repair will take care of the problem, or if a new unit is preferred. Your maintenance history Never had water heater maintenance or repairs done at all? That narrows the potential causes down quite a bit.
Water Heater Upgrades and Replacement
Most heaters typically last anywhere from 10-20 years. At some point, however, a full water heater replacement or upgrade will make more sense than continuing to maintain or repair the unit. Once homeowners are committed to a new heater, they’re surprised to find out the capabilities of a newer unit.
Whether it’s a “smart” hybrid unit, or an energy efficient tankless option, after decades of the same water heater chugging along, a modern heater will provide a noticeable difference in performance and reliability.
Water Heater Specialists
Whether it’s routine maintenance, an unexpected repair, or a new unit altogether, PNW Plumbers can do what you need. Our experienced and licensed technicians work on virtually every kind of water heater, including:
- Tankless Water Heaters
- Storage or Tank Water Heaters
- Natural Gas Water Heaters
- Propane Water Heaters
- Electric Water Heaters
- Oil Water Heaters
- Combination and Indirect Water Heaters
- Hot water recirculation pumps for instant hot water
- Solar water heating systems
- Repipes and main water line replacements