Not that water heaters have a great deal to do with your daily mood – except, that is, when something goes wrong with it and you’re staring at two to three loads of dirty clothes that aren’t going to clean themselves.
Has something suddenly gone wrong with yours? Here are the most likely causes in and around Birmingham:
- Leaking water. If you find water around the base of your water heater storage tank, check that the drain valve at the bottom of the tank is completely closed. If it’s even slightly open, it could be dripping water out of your tank. The leak also could be coming from the unit’s pressure relief valve if the temperature is set too high. It’s best to keep that setting right around 120 degrees.
- Water isn’t hot enough. If your water isn’t as hot as you would like it, there’s likely a build of sediment inside the tank. Try draining and refilling your tank. If the water still isn’t hot enough, there could be a crack in your water heater’s dip tube. This tube sends water to the bottom of the tank where it’s heated. Even a small crack could be allowing cold and hot water to mix, thus reducing water temperature.
- Water is too hot. A couple of possible causes, here. If it’s only a momentary spike in hot water temperature, chances are someone else at home is using a cold-water fixture while you’re in the shower. But if the water stays too hot for an extended amount of time, the problem is likely with the temperature and pressure relief valve which will take a licensed plumber to correct.
- Water heater is noisy. If your water heater is making popping or banging noises, the likely cause, once again, is sediment build-up at the bottom of the tank. Or perhaps you’re hearing a hissing sound, which indicates your system is overheating.
If the simple fixes mentioned above don’t solve the problem, Eagle Service Company can and will. Contact us today for water heater service or any other plumbing, heating, or cooling need you might have.
