“Should I Repair or Replace My Water Heater?”

Before we talk about whether or not you should or shouldn’t replace your Water Heater in Birmingham , how about a blast of the blindingly obvious:  we have no idea what kind of condition your water heater’s in.  Ultimately, you’ll want a professional plumber to examine your system and give you a recommendation one way or the other – repair or replace.  And be able to explain why he or she feels that way.

What we can do right now, however, is point out a handful of the most frequent repair problems, especially those associated with an aging system where replacement should at least be part of the conversation.

• Water leaking from the storage tank.

  If your water heater is at least 8 years old, you should inspect it periodically to see if there’s any water build-up around the base.  If so, that’s a sign of internal corrosion.  Just how bad might that corrosion be?  That’s what we need to find out before properly advising you on what to do next.

• Rusty looking water.

  Voila, another sign of internal corrosion.  As in, once rust builds up inside your water heater storage tank, it can begin to flake and taint the color of your hot water supply.  If that’s what you’re seeing, call us right away, because it’s not going to get any better.

• Increasingly reduced supply. If two or three people can no longer shower in a row when once your water heater permitted such bustling activity, a number of things could account for the combination of reduced supply and increased recovery time.  If, for example, you have an electric water heater, it might just mean that an element has burned out.  Or it could mean that the thermocouple inside your water heart needs to be replaced.

• The water is hot, but not hot enough. This “sounds like” it might be a problem with your thermostat, although perhaps a family member lowered the thermostat setting without letting anyone else know about it.

There are countless things that can go wrong with a water heater; plus, repair problems can and frequently do vary by by make, model, and type.  So rather than drive yourself crazy and hope that the problem might just fix it itself (trust us, it won’t), why not contact Eagle Service Company so we can inspect for you.  If it’s repairable, we’ll give you a guaranteed upfront price to fix it.  Or, if it needs to be replaced, we’ll give you several options to choose from, answer all your questions, and ultimately recommend the one option we believe best meets your needs and budget.  We look forward to your call.