You likely don’t think about your water heater a lot until it quits running. And you’re faced with frigid showers. It works hard to offer your the U.S. family with heated water 24/7, and, as expected, it will eventually wear out.
Here’s how long聽your water heater will likely last聽and some聽clues聽that yours is聽nearing the end of its life.聽Ultimately, how long your water heater will聽last聽depends on what聽type聽you聽use聽and how聽much聽it’s聽working.
Tank Water Heater
Most聽homes聽have a聽tank water heater聽that聽retains聽40 to 50 gallons of water. This聽type聽continuously聽makes water warm, so it’s always at the聽proper聽temperature聽when you聽need聽it. Tank water heaters are聽bestsellers聽due to聽their聽lower聽purchase price, but they don’t聽often聽last聽as long as other聽types.
Here’s how聽long聽you can expect yours to聽work:
- Gas water heater: 10 years
- Electric water heater: 12 years
Tank water heaters can聽quit working聽due to聽numerous聽troubles, but聽an oxidized聽tank is one of the most聽frequent. Your water heater has a special聽part聽known as聽an anode rod that聽draws聽corrosive聽grit聽from the water.聽At some point, the rod will聽corrode, and聽grit聽will聽accumulate聽at the聽base聽of your water heater,聽corroding聽the lining聽within聽the tank.
Tankless Water Heater
础听tankless water heater聽has a much聽bigger聽working life聽than its tank-style聽counterparts. These water heaters聽could聽last聽as long as聽20 years.
Besides聽running聽for a greater amount of time, tankless hot water heaters are聽highly聽energy efficient.聽Instead of聽storing聽big聽amounts of water that’s聽reheated聽constantly, a tankless model聽warms up聽water聽when you want it. This聽does away with聽standby heating and the聽effect it has聽on your monthly聽energy聽costs.
You might not聽be aware, but聽warming up water聽takes up聽a聽large聽chunk聽of your聽utility聽bills. In聽fact, it’s the second聽biggest聽source of energy聽use聽in聽an average聽home, according to聽.
Tankless water heaters are聽more expensive聽than tank water heaters, but they聽have聽lasting聽energy savings. They聽are typically聽24% to 34% more efficient than a water heater that聽stores聽water, according to the聽.
4聽Indications聽Your Water Heater is聽Wearing Out
驰辞耻谤听hot water heater聽will聽start showing聽indications聽that聽it's breaking down. Here’s what to聽keep an eye out for聽and when to聽get in touch with聽a plumbing聽specialist聽like聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.
1.聽Insufficient聽Enough Hot Water
This is one of the most聽typical聽clues聽that your water heater聽is nearing the end of its life. You聽might聽see聽heated聽water聽running out聽faster, or that聽it requires聽additional聽time聽for water to heat up.
2. Leaks
We recommend calling聽a plumber if you’re聽noticing聽water leaks or water聽accumulating聽around聽the聽foundation聽of your water heater.聽Sometimes聽you聽might聽just need to have connections聽tightened聽or a聽part聽replaced, but it聽might聽also be a聽indication聽the tank is聽damaged.
3. Water聽is Cloudy
If you聽reside聽in聽a location聽with hard water and don’t have a water softener, you’re聽probably聽familiar with聽having cloudy water. But if your water聽all of a sudden聽goes聽from clear to cloudy or starts smelling聽like metal,聽we advise having聽your water heater聽inspected聽by a聽plumber聽to聽prevent聽damaging leaks.聽Sudden聽changes in your water clarity means sediment is聽probably聽building up聽in the tank and聽rusting聽it.
4.听奥别颈谤诲听狈辞颈蝉别蝉
It’s聽common聽for your water heater to聽generate聽some noise as it聽works. But popping and rumbling聽isn't聽normal and is a聽sign聽you聽should call for聽professional聽support. As sediment聽builds up聽in the tank, your water heater has to work harder and聽might聽consume聽additional聽energy in the process.
天美传媒聽Makes Water Heater Replacement聽Easy
Waiting too long for聽water heater replacement聽could lead to聽that can damage your聽home.聽There's also聽the聽annoyance聽of聽not having聽hot聽water. If your water heater is聽old聽or showing聽signs聽it needs to be replaced,聽give our Experts a call聽at (866) 963-7996 to聽schedule聽a free home comfort assessment. From capacity to energy efficiency, we’ll聽review聽all the options so you can make the聽ideal聽decision for your聽home.
