Warm, flowing water is essential to everyday life in most Albuquerque homes

In addition to showers, baths, and handwashing, the average individual may use water of varying temperatures from a water heater up to 20 times a day. The water heater is put to the test when everyone in the home uses that much water at the same time.

You’ll know whether your water heater needs to be changed when you start seeing symptoms of wear and tear. Even the most incredible water heaters have a ten-year lifetime, regardless of how often they’re used or how old the tank is. Annual maintenance will help extend the life of your water heater, but if you’ve lived in a house for more than eight years, you’ll probably need a new tank installed. As a result, as a homeowner, you should be aware of the warning indications that your water heater is nearing the end of its useful life.

Access to hot, flowing water is necessary for nearly every home. The ordinary individual may use water of varying temperatures up to 20 times daily, from baths and showers to hand washing and cooking to laundry and dishwashing. To put things into perspective, double the water heater consumption by each person in the home.

You’ll know whether your water heater needs to be changed when you start seeing indications of wear and tear around it. Even the most fantastic water heaters have a ten-year lifetime, regardless of how often they’re used or how old the tank is. Annual maintenance will help extend the life of your water heater, but if you live in the same spot for more than eight years, you’ll likely need a new tank. As a result, homeowners must be aware of warning indications that suggest it’s time to repair their water heater.

Is Your Water Heater Overdue for Replacement?

A water heater, of all things, is not built to survive indefinitely. A water heater replacement is inevitable throughout a typical homeowner’s life. The problem is that most homeowners have no idea when their water heater is approaching the end of its useful life. For example, if you don’t know how old your heater is, you might be in danger if it begins to malfunction.

Do Water Heaters Have a Long Lifespan?

— Most water heaters are expected to survive between eight and ten years on average. While ten is typically considered the optimal time to replace a heater, the necessity to do so may come earlier or later than this. Regardless of whether or not a heater is presenting symptoms, it should be replaced after a decade of use.

Signs of a Bad Water Heater

A water heater should be replaced beforehand if it shows the following symptoms:

• Rusting, either on the tank or in the water
• Noises
• Leaks
• Failure to heat water

 A water heater’s average lifespan is between five and ten years. The exception is that gas water heaters typically last six to eight years. You’ll probably have to pay to replace the gas water heater if you live in a house for less than the usual homeowner’s seven or eight-year tenure.

The Water Heater Serial Number

Typically, the manufacturer’s label on the upper side of your water heater will have a serial number that can tell you how old your water heater is. The number, however, will not display the date in an easily recognizable format. These numbers will look somewhat like this:

• G061193740
• D041069367
• I071047856

The year’s month is denoted by the letter at the beginning of each number. Heating appliances made in July, April or September are numbered with the letters G, D, or I. The last two digits of the year are represented by the serial number’s initial two digits. Therefore, the three serial numbers correspond to heaters manufactured in 2007, 2004, and 2007 respectively.

Rusty Water or Heater Inlet Valve

Even though it is the most robust material on the planet, steel is susceptible to corrosion. When rust takes hold of a steel surface, it progressively spreads and eats through the steel in some locations. In other words, it corrodes the steel. Rust indicates impending water leaks in steel water pipes and storage tanks for water supply systems.

It may be challenging to determine if the rust is coming from the water heater itself or the pipes connected to your faucet. In any event, rust is an immediate problem that must be remedied to ensure the sanitary condition of your home.

The Water Is Rusty

If you see rust in hot water coming out of the taps in your sink and bathtub, there is a reasonable probability that your water heater is rusty. Rusting is unavoidable on heaters after the date is stamped on the label. Even water heaters just eight to ten years old might develop rust, as this problem is common to all water heaters.

Rusty Valve/Inlet

If you notice rust around the water entrance or the pressure release valve on the heater, rust has probably taken root inside the tank. If such is the case, your only choice is to immediately replace the tank with a new one. Once rust has taken hold of an old water heater, it is impossible to save it in its current state.

Rusty Pipes

When galvanized pipes are used for your plumbing system, rust may eventually accumulate on the insides of the lines as they age. This issue may sometimes become so severe that it is visible in the plumbing fixtures such as sinks and bathtubs. It’s possible that the pipes are to blame when you get rusty water when you turn on the tap.

It is possible to detect whether the rust in your home’s water supply is coming from the water tank or the pipes by emptying several buckets’ worth of hot water from the storage tank. If the water continues to come out rusty after the third bucket load, the problem is not with the pipes but the tank itself. This indicates that it is now the appropriate time to replace the water heater. After all, if the rust eats through the steel, there is a good chance that there will be water leaks shortly.

Noise from the Water Heater

The noise from the tank is just another indicator that the water heater is failing. As the water in the tank is heated, the noises of rumbling that the heater makes will become increasingly audible as the heater ages. When the root cause is addressed, the issue is likely to become even more severe in homes with a high volume of hot water. The following are some of the most common sources of noise emanating from a water heater:

Sediment Buildup

When an older water heater is asked to heat and reheat water consistently, sediment begins to collect on the bottom of the water heater’s tank. The silt along the tank floor eventually becomes more compact and thicker as time passes. The following are some of the issues that might arise as a result of sediment accumulation in a water heater:

• Inefficiency: Water heaters with sediment accumulation need more energy to heat water, which is a waste of resources because the strain on the water heater is higher.
• Accelerated Damage: The longer a tank spends heating water, the more likely it is that the metal within will become brittle. This, in turn, increases the possibility that cracks will appear in the tank.

A water heater that makes noise because silt has built up within the tank is frequently a warning that the tank may ultimately leak. On the other hand, the harm that mud produces can be avoided by the employment of the following method:

Clear out the Heater

It is recommended that you cleanse the tank that is connected to your water heater once each year. When this is done, the sediment in the tank is drained, allowing the tank to function more effectively. Flushing the tank of a water heater once per year increases the likelihood that it will live out its entire life expectancy of around ten years. It is in everyone’s best interest to have flushing performed by qualified plumbing technicians.

If a tank continues to produce noise after the sediment has been drained out, there is likely a more significant issue with the water heater. In any event, good water heaters shouldn’t produce any noise, and those that do create noise despite frequent cleaning are likely on the edge of developing a fracture or leak. As a result, it is best to replace water heaters that make noise as soon as possible.

A Crack in the Water Heater

When there is water, there is typically just one explanation: leaks. When the water heater in your home is getting close to the end of its expected lifespan, it is more likely that you may see water accumulating on the floor around the tank. The amount of property damage that a leak cause is directly proportional to the location of the water heater within the home. As a result, the most hazardous issue with your water heater would be a significant leak.

The Primary Factor in Water Damage

The expansion of the metal in the tank is frequently the cause of water leaks in storage containers. The inner body of the tank is subjected to thousands upon thousands of heating cycles throughout its lifetime, which causes it to expand with time. Because of this, there won’t be any water loss when the tank is not in use; nevertheless, when the metal expands, there will inevitably be some water loss via the gap at the most intense part of each heating cycle. When a fracture starts to form, the void that results will probably be small enough to allow water to pass through it, barring the most extreme conditions.

Alternate Causes of Water Heater Failure

There are instances in which expansions in the metal are not the cause of water leaks. There may not even be an issue with the tank itself in some instances when leaks have occurred since the tank may be OK. If water has started to accumulate around the tank, you should inspect the following parts of the water heater for signs of moisture:

• the tank’s attachments and connectors if any
• The conduit for the temperature and pressure overflow.

If there is leaking in either of those locations, there may be something wrong with the fittings; in that case, you will need to have a plumber come and evaluate the problem. If there is leaking in either of those regions, the fittings may be wrong. If there is no evidence of leakage from the connections or fittings, the problem is with the tank itself. The first issue can be fixed by adjusting and tightening the nuts and bolts. However, the second problem has no simple solution. Because of this, you should consider replacing your water heater if you notice water leaking directly from the tank.

Risks

A leak in your water heater may be one of the most significant problems in house maintenance you will encounter while living in a particular residence. The following are some of the potential repercussions that might result from a leak if the heater is positioned on the ground level of your home:

• Carpeting that has been destroyed by water.
• Belongings damaged or destroyed due to saturation, including books, records, antiques, furniture, electronics, etc.

The mold that has developed because of the seepage of rotting water into the flooring, walls, and carpets If your water heater is located on the ground floor of your home, it is imperative to have it fixed as soon as possible if it leaks. A little leak might not be nearly as urgent if the heater is situated in your basement or garage, where there are no expensive items put close; nonetheless, you will still want to act as soon as possible rather than waiting too long.

A Problem with the Water Heater

Providing warm and hot water is one of the essential elements of the home. If you don’t have access to warm water, you won’t be able to do things like washing your hands or taking showers, much alone clean dishes or operate your washing machine. Most people have a complacent attitude toward warm water, so they are thrown off their game whenever the water in their sink or bathtub does not reach an adequate temperature.

Your water heater might be experiencing one of these three potential problems, any one of which could be causing a loss of heat in your water supply:

• An incorrect setting on the thermostat
• A damaged heating element
• A tank that is insufficient for the size of your home.

The first two issues can be easily fixed, and their presence does not necessarily suggest that the heater must be replaced. It isn’t until the third issue that it becomes clear that you probably need to get a new heater; this is the only problem that qualifies.

Adjustment of the Thermostat

If the water that comes out of your faucets does not reach acceptable levels of heat, the issue may be due to a problem with the electrical thermostat in your home. Adjusting the temperature on the thermostat can be all that’s needed to solve a situation like this. The temperature settings on a thermostat for a residential water heating system should be between 120 and 140 degrees for the water to be adequately warmed.