Most people don’t have a clue when their water heater is about to fail. This can be a serious issue considering if your water heater does fail, you can have some serious water damage that comes along with it, which also means some seriously costly clean-up as well. No one wants that. There are signs that you can watch for to find out if your water heater is on its last leg.
How old is your water heater? Water heaters generally only last about ten years, so it’s crucial to know exactly how old yours is. If you didn’t purchase your water heater yourself and you don’t know the exact age, there is a way to check it. Your water heater should have a manufacturer’s sticker on the upper portion of it with a serial number on it which will contain a date code. Date codes may vary from place to place so you will have to check the manufacturer’s website to learn what their specific code is to figure out how old your water heater is.
Rusty water. If you see rusty water coming from your water heater and it only comes from the hot side piping in your home, this might be a sign that you need a new water heater. This could mean that yours is currently rusting away on the inside, which could soon cause a leak to happen. However, you might just have rusty pipes. To test something like this, drain a few five-gallon buckets of hot water out of the water heater. If by the third bucket the water is still rusty, then the water heater is most likely at fault.
Rumbling and noise. Generally, banging and rumbling noises coming from your water heater aren’t a good thing. It usually means that your heater is reaching the end of its life. As a water heater ages, sediments build up within the bottom of the tank and heat and reheat until they eventually harden. This sediment causes your heater to become less efficient and more damaged over time.
Water around water heater. If you notice moisture around your water heater, you might have a leak or a fracture in your tank. This isn’t something that you can just let be, because it can cause a lot of damage to your home if it isn’t addressed. However, before you just automatically assume that it is your water heater creating the moisture, you should check to see if there are leaks in the fittings, connections, or pipes to make sure it is the heater that is the problem.
If you are concerned about your water heater and are afraid it is going to fail or are experiencing any of the problems above, contact a plumber or a company that services water heaters as soon as possible to prevent damage from happening to your home.
Resources:
https://www.angieslist.com/articles/4-signs-your-water-heater-about-fail.htm
