3 Signs It’s Time To Look For A New Water Heater
3 Signs It’s Time To Look For A New Water Heater
If you and your family are like most homeowners, you rely on your water heater for a great deal of the
comfort and convenience you enjoy from your Tampa home daily. From cooking to cleaning and even
bathing, you expect a lot from your water heater, and over time, all of this use is going to wear on
it.
Most homeowners who have a water heater fail are unaware of the signs leading up to it, and to help
spare you a lot of headaches, our team of skilled Tampa plumbers at 1st Choice Plumbing Solutions
have taken the time to put together this short list detailing some of the early warning signs that indicate
your home is nearly due for a new water heater replacement.
Age
The age of your tank itself is one of the first factors to consider when deciding whether or not it’s time to
replace your old water heater. You can usually find the age of your tank by looking at the serial number
on the manufacturer’s sticker. If you determine that your tank is older than ten years, it might be a good
idea to start considering replacement options.
If your tank is in a location where it won’t cause significant damage if a leak occurs, it’s possible to wait
until that happens, although we wouldn’t recommend it. In most scenarios, it’s always best to replace
your old tank before it starts to leak.
Rusty Water
If you notice that you’ve got rust-colored water coming from your faucets, particularly when you’re
running the hot water, it’s a likely sign that there’s rust built-up inside your water heater. A good way to
test whether or not the rust is coming from inside your water heater, and not from the inside of your pipes
themselves, is to drain a few five-gallon buckets from your water heater. If you still see rust coming out
by the third bucket or so, you can be fairly certain the issue is coming from your tank itself—which means
it’s likely time to have it replaced.
Rumbling & Other Noises
Sediment build-up is something that tends to happen as your water heater ages, and when it starts to
harden over time, it will often produce rumbling or banging sounds as it’s continually reheated or comes
in contact with the heating element of your tank. As this sediment builds up, it will start to reduce the
overall capacity and efficiency of your system as a whole, causing more damage as time goes on. If you
notice any banging or rumbling sounds that seem out-of-place while your water heater is running, it’s
likely time to start looking at replacement options.
