How To Know When Your Water Heater Might Fail

10/11/2018 (Permalink)

As a homeowner, you want to prevent as much damage to your Oklahoma City, OK, house as possible. Keeping an eye on your appliances can help you avoid unnecessary flooding. A leaking water heater, for example, can cause a lot of damage to your home. If you knew your heater might start leaking before it happened, you could potentially stop the flooding from taking place. A residential water team may be able to help you inspect your water heater and other appliances for signs of impending failure.

1. You hear strange noises.

Some noises coming from your water heater are normal, but too much banging, whistling or rumbling could be a sign that you have a broken water heater. Built up sediment, for example, can cause the heating coils to bang and shake each time they heat up. Eventually, this can cause breaks in the elements or sides of the heater.

2. You see rusty water

If you notice rusty water whenever you run a hot bath or try to wash the dishes, it could be a major sign of a failed water heater. The rust could mean your heating unit is rusting away from the inside. However, in some cases rusty water could simply mean you have rusty pipes. Before replacing your appliance, drain some water to make sure the rust is coming from the water heater itself.

3. You see standing water 

A sure sign of a leaking water heater is seeing water coming out of the unit. If you don't see the active leak but still see standing water, you should do some investigation to figure out where the flood is coming from. In some cases, a water heater may only leak while the water inside is hot because the heat expands the fractures of the metal.

A leaking water heater can leave you with little warm water and serious water damage. Catching the problem early can help reduce the problems caused by the failed equipment.