As we creep closer and closer to winter, many homeowners throughout the country are taking steps to prepare their homes. From insulating pipes against colder temperatures to ensuring that your heater is ready for the long winter ahead, you probably feel pretty confident that you are ready.
There is one system, however, that often gets taken for granted and thus forgotten, no matter what time of the year it is. It’s your water heater. Used every day, your water heater is designed to last for many years. However, no system lasts forever, and it’s essential that you be aware of signs that yours might need repairs, or may even be ready for replacement.
How Old Is Your Water Heater?
As we mentioned above, water heaters are designed to last a long time. This is particularly true if you have yours professionally maintained through a reputable Sterling, VA plumbing company, such as ours! But a water heater, just like any other system, cannot last forever. Aside from any catastrophic issues, age is typically the best indicator that a system needs replacement.
Water heaters can typically last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Again, this depends on how well cared for it is, but also what type of water heater it is and how much use it gets. Typically, though, once a water heater gets past the age of 15, it begins to breakdown to the point of no return.
Your water heater will start developing more and more issues at this point, becoming costly to maintain, and experiencing a number of repair needs.
How Is Your System’s Output?
Whether you’re using a tank water heater or the newer tankless model, there will come a time that it will be subjected to enough demand to overwhelm it, especially if it’s aging anyway. If your water heater is consistently having trouble providing enough hot water for even moderate use, you should call in our professionals. We can help you determine if this is something that can be fixed, or if it might be time to upgrade your system.
If low output keeps occurring, there could be a number of different causes. Most likely, it’s simply wear and tear. As the water heater ages, it loses its operating efficiency, until it just can’t keep up anymore. If you have a newer system, however, then this probably wouldn’t be the case—it definitely warrants a call to a pro!
Does Your Water Heater Keep Breaking Down?
Water heaters are durable and resilient compared to other home comfort devices. However, they’re not immune to problems. You’ll likely need to have repairs done once or twice over the course of the water heater’s lifespan.
If you need to have your water heater repaired multiple times throughout a single year, however, then it’s important to be aware that this frequency is not normal. Water heaters that need to be repaired that often are probably nearing the end of their lifecycle, as parts begin to fail due to years of wear and tear.
AllTech Services, Inc. is the company to call for all of your plumbing needs. Contact us today!