Water Heaters

What may look like a minor problem can turn into a major issue if left unattended. Complete water heater failure can cause significant flooding. We recommend calling for professional service immediately. We will ask several questions and advise initial steps to assure safety.

Is the unit leaking from the top or bottom? Inspection will be made at the cold-water inlet or hot water outlet connections. We will check the temperature and pressure relief valve (T/P valve), the heater drain valve and the bottom of the water tank. If the unit must be replaced, consider moving to a tankless water heater.

If you have a conventional electric tank-style heater and the power goes off, you’ll have hot water for 2-3 hours from the water stored in the insulated tank. Generally, gas water heaters do not rely on electricity to heat the water. The exception are gas heaters with electric pilot lights. To safely relight a gas heater for any reason, a professional plumber is recommended.

Electric on-demand water heaters will not provide hot water in a power outage. Even gas on-demand heaters are not exempt during a power outage – its control panel is powered by electricity.

First check your hot water usage in the household. Is the shower, dishwasher and clothes washer all in use about the same time or back-to-back? We will inspect the water heater thermostat setting and the pilot light if you have a gas water heater. If you don’t have a water softener, the water heater will be inspected for corrosion or limescale buildup. Heating elements will be inspected for good working order on electric heaters. If your water heater is 10-12 years or older, consider moving to an energy efficient replacement or to an on-demand water heater.

On occasion, the municipal water supply can be stirred up by hydrant use or flushing and water main construction. More common is discoloration due to hard water limescale buildup formed by excess calcium and magnesium particles or high iron content. To prevent these problems, we suggest reviewing our Preventative Home Maintenance Membership Plan. The water heater should be drained and flushed annually to extend its lifespan. Inspection will also be made of your home’s piping system for repair or replacement if needed.

There can be many reasons for higher than normal electric bills. Water heaters account for approximately 17 percent of average home energy use. The trend is to gradually replace home appliances with more energy efficient units and switching to natural gas where possible. Our new Preventative Home Maintenance Membership Plan can go a long way to save on energy costs and repairs. We supply our own energy-efficient, custom built gas and electric water heaters.