Your water heater provides you with heated water to use for showering, bathing, washing your clothing and washing your hands as well. If you don't have hot water, it can be difficult to do these things. Bathing in cold water is not exactly ideal and washing your hands or your dishes in cold water is not going to help kill germs. Your water heater may be to blame if you don't have any hot water at all, so it will need to be repaired if necessary. Hiring a professional plumber to help you make the repairs is important. Watching for signs of an issue is also important. Read on for a few signs that your water heater needs to be repaired.
1. Your Hot Water Runs Out Quickly
If your hot water runs out quickly and you've never had this issue before, it may be a problem with your hot water heater. The heating element at the bottom of the water heater may be blocked by sediment that has accumulated at the base. This sediment will need to be cleaned out in order to provide you with proper heat from the unit. Cleaning out a water heater can be a major task and it could be dangerous with the hot water inside, as it may be too hot. Hire a professional plumber to clean out your hot water heater. If your hot water heater has always run out of hot water, it may be that your unit is just too small for your home and your family, and you should invest in a larger tank that will be able to keep up with the demand.
2. Your Hot Water Heater Is Leaking
If you have a slow drip around your hot water heater, it's something you need to have inspected and repaired right away. A minor leak could eventually lead to a major leak. You should inspect your water heater often to look for leaks in the water lines coming into the unit and the lines exiting the water heater. You should also inspect the drain line and the tank itself for leaks or corrosion.
3. Your Hot Water is Inconsistent
If the hot water coming out of your water heater is inconsistent, it could be an issue with the hot water heater. You may have a broken heating element, which would cause the water in the tank to not be heated evenly. You may have very hot water one minute, then cool, then hot again. If you have inconsistent hot water, you should call a professional plumber to inspect your tank.
If you have noticed any of the signs above with your hot water heater, contact HVAC services to learn more.