Reasons Your Water Heater May Not Be Working Properly

The water heater in your home may be starting to age, and with that, it can begin to lose efficiency. The water heater may still be functioning, but often there are some indications that you need to have the water heater serviced to ensure that it is performing at its best.

Electric Water Heaters

If you have an electric water heater in your home, it may use one or two heating elements to heat the water. Larger tanks often need an element at the top and one at the bottom that works together and heats the water faster.

The heating elements can begin to corrode over time, and they will build up minerals from the water on the surface. Hiring a water heater repair service to remove the element from the water heater tank and clean them can help the element work more efficiently. The repair tech will need to drain the water heater before removing the heating elements then refill it after so you will be without hot water for several hours.

If the elements are severely damaged, the water heater repair service will need to replace them with new elements. If the tanks and rest of the water heater are in good condition, it can be the most cost-effective way to improve the water heater's performance in your home.

Gas Water Heaters

A gas water heater works much the same way as putting a pot on a gas stove. There is a burner under the tank heats the bottom of the tank and the water in it. Over time, the water in the tank will heat up, just like the water in the pot on the stove. If the water is not getting hot, you may need to call a water heater repair service to inspect the system and determine what needs repair.

Gas water heaters run on natural gas or liquified petroleum (propane), and most of them have one burner to heat the water from the bottom of the tank. As the water warms in the base, it rises to the top, allowing the burner to heat the colder water sinking to the bottom of the tank. 

If the burner is not working, it is crucial to call a water heater repair company that has experience working with gas water heaters to service the unit. There are several reasons for the burner to shut down, but the tech working on the system needs to know what they are doing. Even a small gas leak under the water heater could be disastrous.


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