In most cases, hot water heater problems become apparent with little or no warning. You might notice some dripping or even puddling close to your hot water heater or hear strange gurgling and popping noises inside the tank. You might even notice that you are not getting any hot water out of the tap when turning it on. Despite the fact that you can contact your local gas company to solve certain problems such as the gas supply to your hot water heater or the burner on the hot water heater, you’re pretty much on your own with other problems.
Having some knowledge of how a hot water heater operates and being able to troubleshoot potential problems can go a long way to saving you and other homeowner’s a great deal of money in costly hot water heater repairs. However, for more difficult issues or problems that you are not skilled enough to deal with, we encourage that you contact Plumbing Emergency Rescue and have one of our technicians evaluate your situation. We know what to look for and how to correct these problems quickly and efficiently.
Hot water heater problems can usually be corrected without much delay. However, if you neglect or overlook and of the red flags that indicate the presence of a problem, more serious damage can occur as a result. The more common hot water heater problems that we typically experience when called out to a home include:
- discolored or smelly water
- leaking tank
- not enough hot water
- strange noises emanating from the tank
- water that is not hot enough or too hot
These hot water heater issues are relatively easy to identify and can be dealt with in a timely manner. In most cases, the most common homeowner complaint that we receive is that the appliance is not heating their water in proper fashion or that their water gets too hot to use.
Since there is a considerable difference between the operation of an electric hot water heater compared to a gas operated one, most heating problems and the solution to them depends on the type of appliance that you have. Before you attempt to tackle these problems on your and prior to calling a 24-hour emergency plumbing service, you should consider these 3 helpful tips regarding efficient, safe hot water heater operation and usage:
- Check the temperature setting – it should be set around 150º (lower if there is no dishwasher or there are children or elderly individuals in the home).
- Check your temperature pressure relief valve on a regular basis – this will keep excess pressure from building up and help you avoid more serious problems.
- Insulate your hot water pipes – this minimizes the amount of energy required to heat your water and can prevent pipes from freezing.
For more information regarding hot water heater problems and how to troubleshoot them, Plumbing Emergency Rescue will be happy to answer any of your questions. Please contact us today.