Water heaters are an indispensable piece of home equipment: they make bathing a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Life without them is significantly less comfortable and more difficult.
There are different types of heaters, including gas and electric heaters, heaters with and without tanks. Regardless of which one people buy, they will encounter problems with them at some point.
You must immediately call a professional plumbing service for their water heater repair if you notice something wrong. A malfunctioning unit could lead to insufficient heating, flooding in the bathroom, gas leakage, and in some cases, an explosion because of the excessive build-up of pressure inside the unit.
Often the worst thing you can do is try to fix a water heater by yourself using do-it-yourself methods because, in many cases, you will end up worsening the heating equipment or causing injuries to yourself.
But what are the various types of repairs required for heating devices, and how often are they needed? How can a plumber help you? Read on to get the answers to these questions.
Different types of heating repairs
Water heaters require various heating repairs, some of which are mentioned below.
Broken dip tube
The dip tube is crucial to your water heater’s functioning, as it transfers the cold water to the heater’s tank, where the heating mechanism does the job. However, if the tube breaks, cold water will not undergo the heating process, or will undergo it much more slowly.
You can tell a faulty dip tube in two ways. One is receiving cold flow, which is quite apparent, and the other is the presence of minute white plastic particles in the flow (which happens when the tube starts corroding).
A plumber will replace the old tube with a new one in most cases.
Rusty supply
Dirty, metallic-smelling, rust-colored flow is caused by old corroding pipes (usually those made from galvanized steel). Other reasons include:
- Bacterial growth.
- Mineral deposits in the supply.
- Rusting of the heater’s inner surface.
Your plumber will use various techniques to solve this problem, like draining and flushing the main tank through the drain valve. They might also utilize shock chlorine treatment (a process in which the plumber injects large amounts of chlorine at once) for the tank and pipes.
Burner system problems
Gas heaters work with the help of a gas burner. Shifting the knob to the on position causes the pilot light to start working, heating the water. However, the light might sometimes stop working because of a malfunctioning thermocouple, defective valve, or low gas pressure.
A professional will check your heating unit to ensure the pilot light, gas burner, and other parts work correctly and heat water as they are supposed to.
Low pressure
Standing under the shower with low water pressure can be incredibly annoying. One of the primary reasons behind low pressure is the accumulation of sediments like calcium and other minerals in storage tanks and pipes.
Sediment build-up prevents regular flow efficiency, reducing the overall pressure. If you live in places with a hard water supply, the chances of this happening are high.
A professional will remove sediments by flushing pipes, clearing a faucet’s aerators, and using robust cleaning solutions.
When is a heater replacement required?
Your plumber will suggest a replacement if the heater is over 12 years old. You can find out your water heater’s age by looking at the product sticker, which mentions its date of manufacture.
You should call a professional water heater repair service when you don’t receive hot water. The plumber will identify the issue, complete the necessary repairs, and ensure you receive standard supply again.
