Signs That You Need Water Heater Repair | Earlville, IL

Signs That You Need Water Heater Repair | Earlville, IL

Photo By Roman Budnyi at istock

When all goes well at your Earlville, IL home, you won’t need to spend much time worrying about your water heater. Under ideal conditions, you’ll have hot water whenever you need it as long as you aren’t using too many devices at once.

However, if things aren’t working right, you might find yourself without hot water when you really need it, which can be a nightmarish situation. That’s especially true at holiday time, as most people will need hot water to cook or keep the home comfortable during the colder months in Illinois.

Luckily, before you get to that point, there are plenty of signs that you’ll need to bring in a water heater repair expert to keep the hot water flowing the way it should. If you notice any of these signs in your home, you shouldn’t waste any time, because the clock is ticking on your hot water once you spot them. Learn what to look for here!

Unexplained Hot Water Loss

If you’ve got a traditional water heater, running out of hot water occasionally isn’t always a sign that you need water heater repair right away. That’s because the tank of a traditional water heater keeps a set amount of water heated to the right temperature at all times, and it can only heat a certain amount of water at once. For example, if you’re trying to shower, wash the dishes and use the washing machine in the laundry at once, that’s not going to work.

But if there’s no reason for your home’s water heater to run out of water, you’ve probably got an issue of some kind. There can be several reasons you might need water heater repair at your home here, with one of the most likely being the buildup of sediment in your water heater.

Over time, sediment can build up inside the tank from metal peeling off and winding up in the tank. When that happens, the sediment can block hot water from getting to where it needs to go, which means that you’re going to have less hot water getting to your faucet before the tank runs out. Having a professional clear out the tank and make repairs can help you get your water heater back to normal and decide on the best course of action moving forward.

Drips Behind the Tank

A leak is never a good sign in any part of the home, and if you’ve got a leak near your water heater, you’re going to need to schedule a water heater repair sooner rather than later. This is almost always a serious problem caused by some kind of disconnect between the water heater itself and the pipes that bring water into the home, and if it’s left alone for too long, it can lead to a failure of your water heating system.

Beyond that, a constantly dripping water heater can lead to mold spores and create real issues beyond your water heater, so this is something where you’ll want to get an expert in water heater repair on the job immediately. You won’t be able to spot this problem without going to the tank yourself and taking a look, so be sure to regularly inspect your water heater and ensure everything looks the way it should. Having a professional inspect the system regularly is also a great idea.

Strange Sounds

Water flowing properly through your pipes isn’t going to make noise. It’s when you do hear odd noises in your Earlville, IL home that you’ve got to worry because that usually means that something’s gone wrong with your plumbing system. Unfortunately, when water heater repair is the necessary solution, there’s no time to lose, because the problem is almost always a serious one.

When the water heater starts making noises, that usually means that either sediment has found its way into the tank or the pressure inside the tank is reaching a problematic level. In either case, this isn’t a problem that you can solve on your own. This is something that you’ll need to call for a water heater repair expert to fix because this can be a very dangerous situation. Once you’ve determined that the noises can be traced to your water heater, there’s no decision to make: contact a specialist right away.

Strange Odors

This can be a tricky thing to figure out because if there’s a weird odor from your water, the solution could be water heater repair, but it might have nothing to do with your water heater at all. That’s because there are a number of reasons why you might have an issue with an odor in your water, and not all of them are related to the performance of your water heater. For example, if there are bacteria present in the water at all times, the problem is with the water itself, not the water heater.

To determine if water heater repair might fix the issue in your home, there’s a simple test: turn on the hot water and cold water separately. Then, determine whether you can smell anything strange with each temperature of the water. If you smell something strange regardless of the water’s temperature, the problem is with your water, not your water heater. But if a smell is only present when you’ve got the hot water in use, there’s a good chance that a water heater expert might be able to solve the problem. In either case, you’ll need to call a plumber; the only question is what kind of fix they might need to employ.

At Just In Time, we’ve got the skills and knowledge necessary to handle water heater repair and other plumbing issues in your Earlville, IL home. If something has gone wrong with the drains or pipes in your house, we’ll figure out what the issue is and come up with the best solution for the job. Contact us today to have our team get to work!