How do I know if my water heater is going bad?

So, your hot showers don’t last quite as long as they used to? The hot water takes a little longer to get to you than it used to? We get it. At Brenneco Plumbing, we got a lot of questions from people in Greater Lafayette about when to replace their water heater.

As a Lafayette Plumber, we see water heaters that run on Lafayette or West Lafayette city water and we see water heaters that run on well water. Either situation can be just fine as long as proper maintenance is taking place. However, since your water heater is a piece of equipment, it will only last so long.

So how do you know if your water heater is at the end of it’s life or it just needs a little help? Good question! Here are a few simple tips to help you work through some of the easier fixes yourself. If you complete this list and still have problem, we would love to help. At Brenneco Plumbing, we are here for you!

Water heaters have an average lifetime between 10 and 15 years. Over time, build up can occur from minerals and other contaminants. This can corrode and clog the internal parts of your water heater. This will result in an eventual decline in the water heater’s efficiency and effectiveness. It will eventually lead to a totally water heater failure.

Here are a few things you can check if you aren’t getting the performance from your water heater that you are expecting:

1 If you have no hot water at all, there are two possible options. If you have an electric water heater, your circuit breaker might be tripped. If this is the case, simply reset the breaker. If you have a gas water heater, your pilot light might have gone out. Check at once and use the instructions on the side of your water heater to re light your pilot light.

2 If your hot water is dirty coming out of the faucet, this could be indicative of an impending water heater failure.

3 If you’re having suspicions about your water heater, make sure that you are frequently smelling and tasting the water coming from it. If the water coming from your water heater has a bad odor or taste, this is a sign that your water heater needs looked at. Having a professional Lafayette plumber bleach your tank might give you some more life. However, there is a good chance that you are seeing the end of your water heater.

4 Your water is heater should be water tight. This means, there should be no visible water anywhere on or near your water heater. If you see water, you should immediately call a Lafayette plumber to assist. This is a sure sign of a water heater failure and will lead to a very large leak.

A water heater can make or break your quality of life. If your family has grown or your needs have changed, it might be time to have us come talk to you. We are guessing you don’t like cold showers any more than we do, we can fix that for you!