Is A Water Heater Repair In Your Future?

Many modern homeowners are living on tight monthly budgets. Any unexpected expenses that arise could put the budget out of balance, resulting financial difficulty. It isn't always possible to predict when a major home repair will be needed. Fortunately, your water heater will usually provide you with some warning when it is about to malfunction.

These warning signs allow you time to factor a water heater repair into your future budget so that you can keep your home safe and comfortable.

Your water heater is having a birthday.

It's important that you keep track of the age of the major appliances within your home. This includes your water heater. Water heaters are manufactured to perform within a recommended period of time.

Most tank water heaters have a usable life expectancy of between 8 and 12 years. If your water heater is approaching one of these milestone birthdays, you can assume that you will need to repair or replace the tank at some point in the near future. Use your water heater's age to help you budget for repairs.

Your water heater becomes noisy.

When a water heater is in good working condition, it should heat water for your home without making a sound. A water heater that suddenly starts to sizzle, hiss, or squeak is trying to communicate a problem that will need to be repaired soon.

Most water heaters start to make noise because too much sediment has built up in the bottom of the storage tank. Annual flushes and routine changing of the sacrificial anode rod can help minimize sediment buildup, but homeowners aren't always diligent in performing this ongoing maintenance.

If your storage tank shows signs of sediment buildup, plan on investing in repairs or a replacement of the water heater sooner rather than later.

Your water heater leaks.

A residential water heater is made from metal or metal alloys. These materials have the potential to corrode over time, especially when exposed to water. It's important that you monitor your water heater closely for signs of leaks.

A leak can occur when corrosion produces small holes in your storage tank. Leaks can also be caused by faulty valves or poor pipe fittings. Regardless of the cause, you will need to invest in repairs to prevent leaks from compromising the quality of your water heater system.

Being able to determine when your water heater is about to break down can be beneficial when it comes to working repairs into your budget.

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