How to Know if You Need a New Water Heater

– You find that your hot water isn’t as hot and quickly loses heat
– The cost of heating up your water becomes too high because you don’t have a tankless heater
– Your home’s pipes are leaking and causing excess wear

Water heaters don’t have a long lifespan, especially tankless water heaters. How often do you really think about your heater? Once it’s installed and works without any problems they seem to just fade away into the background doing their job day in and day out. If there was a way to calculate how many gallons of hot water your heater has delivered over its lifetime then at what point would you realize that it is time for a replacement?

That’s too difficult to answer; however, here are some warning signs that can help determine when replacing your water heater might be necessary. These 3 warning signs will show you how to know if you need a new water heater for your home.

How To Know If You Need A New Water Heater

Your hot water loses heat quickly:

This could indicate an issue with the temperature and pressure relief valve. This valve will open up when a certain temperature is reached to protect the tank from exploding. It can also spring a leak if not functioning properly or become stuck open. The pressure relief valve should be tested at least once a year. This video by Roto-Rooter shows how to test your pressure release valve.

The cost of heating up your water gets too high:

This can indicate that the anode rod is worn out, an issue with the thermostat, or a problem with the pump that pushes the water around. The anode rod will attract corrosion and eventually break down into rust that clogs up parts of your system.

If your pump or thermostat is malfunctioning then it can get expensive to repair – Whether it is stuck open or closed causing damage elsewhere in the system, having these parts fail on you will cost a lot of time and money to fix. It might be worth investing in a tankless water heater as they won’t rely on the thermostat or pump, which could save you money down the line.

Your home’s pipes leak and wear out:

If your water heater is located in the basement then it could just mean that the floor around it is deteriorating due to excess moisture or has already rotted through completely. There are several factors that could play into why your pipes are leaking, but if you notice it’s only your hot water that is leaking then this could be an indication of corrosion within the water heater itself.

How to Know if You Need a New Water Heater Without Experience

How could you have known that the anode rod would eventually corrode? How many years have your home’s pipes been in use? How often do you think about checking the temperature and pressure relief valve? How much money have you saved using this point of hot water instead of heating another one up? All relevant questions for when looking at how to determine when to replace your water heater.

Since each situation is unique there’s no way to provide a solid number on what year or how many gallons in usage until is necessary; however, judging from the average lifespan of a water heater I would say within 7 years you should at least check up on your unit.

How do you know which type of heater to replace your existing unit with?

You don’t want to invest in another traditional water tank if the solution for you would be a tankless unit. How do you figure out what type of heaters are right for your home? How do you know if it will be worth the investment? How can I tell which type of tankless hot water heater to replace my existing unit with?

The best way to determine what type of heater is right for you would be to contact a plumber. They should be able to help you find the most efficient solution for your household. If this seems like too much effort and money then, in general, tankless heaters are more efficient and provide endless hot water (as long as they receive an adequate supply line).

If any of these warning signs sound familiar then replacing your water heater might be necessary. If you’re not sure how to check any of the warning signs or if you’re still unsure how to know if you need a new water heater, reach out to me for plumbing assistance.