No matter the season here in Oregon, no matter the temperatures outside, there’s one heating system you’ll always need to be working in your home: the water heater. It’s easy to take the water heater for granted, and that you’ll have hot water from the taps whenever you need it.
When you consider the amount of stress a water heater undergoes—it works 365 days a year—you’ll understand that you can’t expect the water heater to work 100% free from malfunctions. At some point, you may need to have your water heater professionally repaired, and it helps to know the warning indications that something has gone wrong. Below are some of the tell-tale signs it’s time to call our professionals for water heater repair in Eugene, OR.
Drop in hot water volume
Have you noticed people in your household complaining about going with lukewarm showers in the morning? If this is a new occurrence, and there used to be sufficient hot water for everyone in during the morning, it means the water heater is probably losing heating power. This is one of the most common signs a water heater either needs to be repaired or (if it’s old enough) replaced entirely.
Water discoloration
If you turn on hot water taps and see rusty brownish discoloration in the water, similar to what you might see in the water when you turn on faucets after coming home from a long vacation, it often means there’s too much sediment inside the hot water tank. It might also indicate corrosion (see below).
Rumbling sounds from the tank
This noise sound alarming … is the tank about to burst? No, probably not. But the noise still isn’t something you want to hear coming from the water heater. It can mean an increase in water pressure inside the tank, sediment along the bottom of the tank, a broken expansion tank, or cold and hot water mixing at the top of the tank because of a broken dip tube. Have repair experts look into it.
Water leaks
You never want to see any water pooling around the base of the water heater. The only place water should drip from the tank is the pressure relief valve. Water dripping from anywhere else is a serious problem that needs to be fixed because the leaks become worse.
Corrosion
Water heaters are designed to resist corrosion for most of their service life (provided they receive regular maintenance each year). If corrosion begins to appear on the water heater, it can sometimes be fixed by replacing the corroded part, such as the heat exchanger. But more often, corrosion is a sign that it’s time to have a new water heater installation in Eugene, OR.
It’s vital that you rely on professionals to handle any repair or maintenance for your water heater. Amateur work can potentially damage your water heater further—and in the case of a gas-powered water heater, it may not be legal for anyone who isn’t licensed to do the work. You can rely on our professionals to take care of your water heater needs.
Comfort Flow Heating serves all of Oregon. We offer 24-hour emergency service.
