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Finding out in the early morning hours that you are in need of water heater repair can seem cruel. No one wants to take an ice-cold shower, but when you combine that with a likely expensive water heater repair bill the injury only mounts. With any luck you will be able to repair your water heater and won’t have to replace it, which is why it’s important to call a qualified expert in Plano, TX for help. A properly and timely serviced water heater is much more likely to make it for its full lifespan compared to one that is not.
How Do You Handle Water Heater Problems?
Curious about how your plumbing company can help you? To start, it depends on whether you have a gas or electric water heater. They function in different ways, and they tend to have different common issues. At the end of the day, an expert and fully licensed water heater repair company in Plano, TX should be able to deal with both. This is the benefit of choosing to work with a professional plumbing company and not just a handyman.
Common Signs That You Need Water Heater Repair
While waking up to a cold shower is certainly one way to find out that your water heater needs repaired, there are other smaller signs that you may notice before your water heater completely stops functioning.
One of these signs is smelly water. Once bacteria gets into your water supply, you will start to smell a rotten egg smell. Obviously, your water should not smell like this, and the smell will quickly get into everything including your clean laundry and your hair. You can turn the electricity or gas off to your water heater and flush your water heater to see if this helps. If it doesn’t, then it is time to call a professional plumber for help. Sometimes flushing the water heater with hydrogen peroxide and water will help wash out the bacteria, sometimes a bigger solution is necessary.
A lot of appliances in your home make noise, but your water heater shouldn’t be one of them. A noisy water heater is an indicator of sediment building up in the bottom of your water heater tank. The noise is the sediment burning and rustling in the bottom of your tank. Sometimes you can drain and flush your water tank which will help reduce the amount of sediment and make it more manageable. Other times, the noises are caused by a heating element that is starting to go. In order to fix the problem, the heating element will need to be replaced which is a task that should only be handled by your water heater repair technician.
Of course, the most common sign is that your water isn’t heating up reliably. Before instantly getting worried, the first thing you should do is check your thermostat. On occasion the thermostat can get knocked which chills the water inadvertently. In this case readjusting it is all it will take to get hot water flowing again.
If the problem is more complicated, it’s possible the heating element in your water heater needs repaired. A plumber can come out and replace the heating element. This is generally a simple fix for a professional and one that won’t cost you too much, so there is no reason to attempt this on your own if you believe this is the problem.
Owners of gas water heaters need to make sure that gas is on before worrying about why their water is suddenly cold. Without gas, the water heater will be unable to heat up. Check the pilot light and make sure it is lit. If it’s not, your owner’s manual should tell you the proper way to light it again. If the pilot light goes out several times in a small-time frame, it’s likely the thermocouple needs replaced so it’s a good idea to call for water heater repair.
Those with an electric water heater also have to check the power source to ensure that it’s not a lack of power causing the issue. Check the circuit breaker to make sure it didn’t trip, and then make sure the water heater is on. If your water heater has a reset button then press it. If this doesn’t work then it is time to call a licensed plumber for help with water heater repair in Plano, TX. Your plumber will likely try all of the above tricks first before looking at major repairs, so it is useful to rule them out beforehand.
Costs of Water Heater Repair/ Replacement
Most water heater repairs cost between $200 and $800 depending on what is wrong with the water heater. For this reason, it is wise to look at the age of a water heater and the actual cause of the problem before deciding whether repair or replacement is the best option. If the repair is going to be costly and you have a very old model, it may be wiser to simply upgrade to a new model. Paying for repairs on a regular basis can quickly get expensive.
In general, water heaters can last between 10 to 15 years, so if your water heater falls between that age it may be time to start looking at new water heaters if yours is acting up. A professional plumber can offer you the best recommendations, which is why calling bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Northeast Dallas when you have a problem can be helpful even if you don’t end up getting your old one repaired. They can offer you some valuable insight into the situation so you can make the most financially sound decision with your water heater repair.
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