A cold shower can be a rude awakening. Learning that you’re facing the expense and inconvenience of emergency water heater replacement will only add to the shock. Paying close attention to your water heater is a key strategy for homeowners who want to avoid an abrupt, frigid start to their day. By following these tips for water heater maintenance, and repair, you can reduce the risk of sudden failure and the potentially catastrophic impact that can have.
How to Know if Your Hot Water Heater Needs Replacement
Replacing a hot water heater at the right time is the best way to ensure continuing access to hot water. Unfortunately, there’s no simple formula to determine when the cost of water heater replacement outweighs the value of continued repair. The application, age and water or climate conditions can affect the performance and longevity of a water heater. The type of water heater is also a consideration: expectations differ for traditional tank-style heaters, tankless water heaters, boilers, and heat pump water heaters.
But regular maintenance and professional insight can help homeowners understand when replacement is the best option. A maintenance agreement with a reputable home services contractor will include regular tune-ups that keep the water heater in good condition and also serve as an opportunity for expert visual inspection.
In addition to regular professional maintenance, homeowners should familiarize themselves with their water heater. Prompt attention between scheduled maintenance calls can prevent issues and also extend the life of the water heater.
4 Signs Water Heater Replacement May be Needed
Here are some of the signs a water heating professional will look for during a maintenance check or repair job that indicate a water heater is nearing the end of its functioning life. Homeowners can also keep an eye out for these signs between maintenance and service visits.
- Water around the heater: A leaking tank should never be ignored. Sometimes water around a heater is the result of a failed or dislodged connection, but it could also indicate a leaking tank or reservoir. Replacement is often the best solution in such cases.
- Age: The lifespan of a water heater varies widely. The manufacturer warranty is not necessarily a reliable predictor. For residential water heaters in normal applications, eight to 12 years is a standard range. As water heaters reach that age, water heater replacement may be needed at any time and repair costs may not be worth the investment.
- Noise: A water heater makes some sound even when it’s operating in optimal condition. If its regular functioning gets louder or it rumbles, that could suggest critical mechanical issues or sediment buildup.
- Reduced or slowed performance: A heater that takes longer to warm up or fails to provide hot water requires immediate attention. The issue could be minor, such as a malfunctioning thermostat, but sluggish performance may be leading up to major equipment failure.
While these signs can indicate to homeowners that their water heater requires immediate inspection, none of them are foolproof evidence that it’s time to replace the unit. Professional service by a trained and skilled expert is recommended.
3 Easy Steps for Water Heater Maintenance
In addition to monitoring for signs of trouble, experts recommend the following regular tasks that will reduce the risk of failure and improve overall performance:
- Flush sediment: Over time, sediment builds up inside the tank. Taking a few minutes to remove this sediment will increase performance efficiency and provide consistent hot water. Drain the water from the tank until no sediment is visible.
- Inspect connections: Frequently check the heater and its connections to the water supply. If any hoses, wires or other lines have become disconnected or show signs of excessive wear, contact a professional.
- Monitor utility bills: Increased water bills or increased usage could indicate an issue that isn’t apparent otherwise. If you see a sudden spike in your water costs, or if water bills and usage slowly but steadily rise over time, schedule an appointment with your maintenance provider.
Q & A: Tank vs. Tankless Water Heater
If you’re ready for a water heater replacement, installing a tankless water heater is an option worth considering. Hosts Tom Kraeutler explains why.
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LESLIE: Lazlo in New York has a question about tankless water heaters. What can we do for you?
LAZLO: Yes, hi. I happen to have two tanked water heaters. It’s for a four-family building.
TOM: OK.
LAZLO: And it basically has – I think the two of them are 50 gallons each.
TOM: Mm-hmm.
LAZLO: And what I was thinking of doing is minimizing the actual heat on those two tanked water heaters and putting in an additional tankless water heater after the two tanks. So this way that the temperature would be, say, something around 80 degrees in the tank water heaters and then when the demand comes on then the tankless would heat it up to the 105, I guess, or 110 degrees so that somebody can take a shower or, you know, do the dishes or whatever it is that they need the hot water for. I was wondering if that’s a good idea or not.
TOM: Are the water heaters that you have gas or electric?
LAZLO: Gas. I’m going to be using gas for both the tankless and the tank.
TOM: It’s a bad idea. Because you don’t need to preheat the water. If you have a properly-sized tankless water heater then you absolutely don’t need to preheat the water and, in fact, doing so would ruin the efficiency of this equation. So I would tell you that if you want to go tankless – I think it’s a good idea if your water heaters are getting to be old – put in the right size tankless water heater and eliminate the other two 80-gallon water heaters because they’re going to waste a whole lot of gas that you don’t need.
LAZLO: OK. They’re actually 40 or 50 gallons …
TOM: Alright, well …
LAZLO: … but I see what you’re saying. Either way. Right.
TOM: Same point.
LAZLO: Yeah, yeah.
TOM: Yeah. No, you don’t need to preheat the water into a tankless. Tankless water heaters are engineered to take the water from, you know, ground temperature cold to 110, 120 degrees on one shot and they do that endlessly if they’re properly sized and properly installed. When you have the plumber come in to install it, make sure that they look very carefully at the manufacturer’s specifications for gas line size. Very common mistake they put in too small of a gas line. Tankless water heaters need a large gas line because they use a lot of gas but they use it for a short period of time and, overall, they’re much less expensive to run than a traditional tanked water heater.
LAZLO: Right, right, right. That’s why I was thinking of going with that. OK. Sounds good. They actually – they are getting on in age, so I would probably have to replace them in about a year or two anyway.
TOM: Smart to do a preemptive strike here, Lazlo, and to replace them before those tanked water heaters start to leak because that’s a big mess.
LAZLO: I thank you for your help.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
For many homeowners, their water heater is out of sight, out of mind. They won’t think about water heater replacement until they have to, and then they’re facing a potentially catastrophic situation. However, with regular water heater maintenance and awareness, homeowners can experience a smooth, affordable installation without any headaches.
Finally, with advances in technology continually improving water heaters, your new water heater is likely to perform better and be more efficient than your current model. Combined with regularly available water heater rebates, your new water heater will deliver ongoing value for many years to come.
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