Your water heater is the heart of your home’s heating system. All the hot water that you use throughout the day is pumped from this organ and through the pipes that extend to your showers and sinks. While maintaining your heater is critical to its survival, it still seems to be far too temperamental. Repairs can be costly, and there never seems to be enough hot water when you need it most. As the owner of B&J Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Mark Wethington has had years of experience with water heaters and knows all about their dispositions.
What makes your tank break down?
The most common reason for your water heater to become broken beyond repair is poor water conditions in the home. If you have problems with hard water in your home, there is the tendency that it will cause scaling to form on the inside of the tank, as well as in the pipes leading from your water heater to your home’s appliances. Besides being harmful to the tank itself, the scaling also clogs pipes, causing the system to back up.
Homes which run on well water also need to pay particular attention to the condition of the water that is going into the heater. As Wethington explains, well water typically has a low pH level, which causes it to be more acidic. The acidity of the water can dissolve the metal of your tank and make it necessary to frequently replace your heater. During the inspection of your water heater, your heating and cooling specialist should test your water’s pH level and suggest ways for you to keep it under control.
Why does hot water run out?
If you come from a large family, or have ever had guests staying in your home, you may have, on more than one occasion, been stuck being the last person to take a shower. By the time your turn rolls around, no matter how high you turn on the water, it seems you are bathing in the arctic. As aggravating as it is, your hot water heater is to blame. The heated water that runs through your home is only as much as your tank can hold. If person after person is taking a shower, while someone else is simultaneously doing the dishes, then the hot water supply is going to deplete faster than it can be replenished. The only way to secure a hot shower is to wait long enough for the new water in the tank to fill up and become properly heated.
What activities drain the water the fastest?
While Wethington says he has noticed that fewer people are using hot water for their washing machines then in the past, this can be the biggest culprit for using up your hot water supply, especially if you repeatedly wash large loads of laundry. Showers are the second source, followed by dishwashers or doing your dishes by hand at the sink.
What’s the best solution for all these problems?
To get rid of all your hot water dilemmas, Wethington suggests considering the purchase of a tankless water heater. Because the water is not limited to a tank’s size like a typical heater, the water is constantly hot.
