A Complete Guide To Water Heater Repair Basics | Katy, TX

2/4/2021

Photo By cmannphoto at istock

Owning a home means you have to take the time to get familiar with all the parts of your home, including the plumbing system. What a lot of Katy, TX, homeowners don’t know is that water heaters need to be maintained, repaired and replaced fairly often, especially if you enjoy having access to hot water. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners neglect water heater repair and maintenance because they simply don’t know how important it is. If you want to learn more about your water heater and how you can take care of it, keep reading.

Water Heater Maintenance

Most homeowners don’t take the time to keep up with maintenance when it comes to water heaters. The truth is, a little bit of maintenance can make a big difference when it comes to water heater repair frequency. Plus, you can extend the life of your water heater by simply taking a little bit of time to have it maintained every now and again.

The most important thing you can do in terms of water heater maintenance is have your water heater flushed regularly. Water heaters tend to build up a lot of sediment, and that sediment can cause damage that leads to costly repairs. By having your water heater flushed, you’re removing all the sediment and running cleaner water that helps prolong the life of your water heater.

Of course, it’s also a good idea to have somebody take a look at your water heater to make sure no parts need to be replaced. If you need a new sacrificial anode rod or heating element, you can have it replaced before it causes further problems.

Water Heater Repair

No matter how hard you try to take care of your water heater, the fact of the matter is they need repairs sometimes. Whether you’ve got a bad sacrificial anode rod that’s causing corrosion or a lack of hot water due to a bad heating element, it’s important to keep up with water heater repairs if you want to extend the life of your unit.

If you have no hot water in your Katy, TX, home, chances are you’re dealing with a bad thermostat or heating element. The thing is, there are two thermostats and two heating elements on a water heater: one lower and one upper. In most cases, the upper heating element will go out first since it does more of the work. However, it’s best to have both thermostats and heating elements looked at if you don’t have hot water.

If you notice your water heater tank is starting to corrode, that’s a sign that you have a bad sacrificial anode rod that isn’t doing its job. This anode is designed to absorb corrosion instead of the tank, but it eventually needs to be replaced when it’s badly corroded and stops doing its job.

Replacing Your Water Heater

At a certain point, you’re going to have to replace your water heater no matter how well you take care of it. The truth of the matter is, there aren’t a lot of ways to repair water heater tank damage, so that’s often what ends a water heater. As a general rule, you should be replacing your water heater once every 10 to 15 years since that’s how long they last on average. Of course, that depends on several factors.

Keeping up with water heater repairs and maintenance is a big part of extending the life of your water heater. Simply flushing your water heater once every six months can make a world of difference. Even still, you should replace your water heater after 15 years or so no matter what, since water heater repair isn’t really an option at that point.

Types of Water Heaters

When it comes time to replace your water heater, make sure you’re talking with a plumber to figure out your best option. There are several different types of water heaters available, each offering unique benefits for different homeowners.

First, you have to decide whether you want a gas or electric water heater. While gas water heaters are good in terms of efficiency, you need to have gas lines installed if you don’t already have them. You may sacrifice some efficiency with electric water heaters, but the ease of water heater repair and installation is enough for most people.

You also have your choice between a tankless and tank-style water heater. Most water heaters have a tank that holds a certain amount of hot water, but tankless water heaters heat water on demand. This means tankless water heaters are more efficient and you don’t have to worry about running out of hot water. However, it’s important to make sure your tankless water heater provides enough gallons of hot water per minute for your home.

Finally, you can choose between whole-house water heaters and point-of-use systems. If you’re looking for something affordable that makes water heater repair easy, a whole-house water heater is the way to go. However, both tankless and tank-type point-of-use water heaters are great if you want to provide uninterrupted hot water to a single room. This constant, separate supply of hot water is perfect for bathrooms as long as you’re willing to invest a bit more.

Water Heaters Made Easy

It’s not easy owning a home, especially if you want to keep your plumbing system working like it should. Not only do you need to keep up with water heater maintenance, but you also need to call an expert whenever you have a problem that needs fixing.

If you’re in need of water heater repair, maintenance or installation, there’s no better choice than the folks at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston. We can even help you choose the perfect water heater for your home. Give bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston a call so we can take care of your water heater today.