Your water heater is often an underappreciated workhorse in your home, doing its job largely unnoticed.
However, nothing lasts forever and that includes your home’s water heater. If you’re seeing any of the below signs, contact the equipment pros at Wesco Oil. We’ll help you figure out what to do about your water heater.
This is one thing you don’t want to procrastinate on. A water heater tank failure leaves your home without hot water, and potentially leaves you with a big cleanup bill on top of having to get a new water heater fast. If you start planning your upgrade now, you’ll be able to choose the one you know is right for your home.
The average life expectancy of a conventional storage water heater with a tank is 10 years. For a tankless water heater, the average is 20 years. If your water is approaching this life expectancy, or has passed it, this is the time to start planning the passing of the torch to a new water heater.
If you don’t know how old your water heater is, check the serial number on the manufacturer’s nameplate. It starts with a letter and is followed by numbers. The letter indicates the month it was manufactured (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.). The first two numbers indicate the year. Here’s an example: If your water heater has the serial number H1245689703, it was manufactured in August of 2012.
If you have rusty water coming out of your faucets when you run the hot water, that’s a danger sign. It usually means your water heater tank has corrosion. The clock is ticking on tank failure. Contact us right away.
If your water heater is getting on in years, the metal in the storage tank can develop cracks, sometimes too small to be seen with the naked eye. If you’re seeing puddles on the floor around the water heater when it’s in use, you probably have a leak and need an upgrade.
If your water heater rumbles when it’s running, that’s usually a sign that there is sediment buildup in your tank. If the tank hasn’t been drained regularly (something that should be done at least once a year), the sediment buildup can get so bad the valve may be blocked. Contact us whatever the case is.
If your energy costs are going up even though your heating oil, gas, or electric rates haven’t changed much if at all, your water heater may have lost efficiency. At some point, it’s going to cost more to repair than replace.
You can count on Wesco Oil for expert installation, maintenance, and repairs for your new water heater. Contact us today to get started!
