5 Things to Know About Water Heater Repair

Savvy homeowners tend to understand the basics of all their household components—enough to know when there is a serious problem, and perhaps even enough to make some minor repairs. For example, you may not be a master electrician, and you may not trust yourself to make any serious electrical repairs, but you can hopefully tell when a circuit breaker has been flipped; you probably know how to reset it, and maybe even how to deduce the cause of the problem.

The same should hold true of your plumbing fixtures and appliances, including your hot water heater. This is an important part of your household plumbing system, and likely something that you use multiple times throughout the day. You may never know how to take one apart or install a new one, but it’s smart to understand just a few basic hot water heater concepts.

Water Heaters Are Not Complicated
The first thing to understand about your water heater is that, while the thought of installing or repairing one might seem daunting, these are actually not complicated appliances. There is a heating element, which is the thing that actually, well, heats the water, and then there is the thermostat that controls the temperature. Whenever there is a problem with your water heater, it is almost surely because one of these two basic components is not working properly.

You Can Flush Your Water Heater
… and in fact, you should! Sediment will accumulate in your water heater over time and impair proper functioning. It’s fairly easy to drain the sediment from time to time, which can extend the life expectancy of your water heater by quite a bit. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact our Vancouver plumbing team and we can come show you!

Your Water Heater Has Built-in Safety Features
In particular, your water heater has a pressure release valve, which performs an essential task: It prevents your water heater from exploding should all the other safety implements fail! Built-up sediment can cause even the pressure release valve to stop working, though, which makes those routine cleanings all the more important.

You Can Increase Your Tank Capacity
Looking for a way to enjoy more hot water, without it running out so quickly? There is such a thing as a tank expansion! Contact our Vancouver plumbing team to learn more.

The First Sign of a Water Heater Problem…
… is almost always a significant drop in water pressure. If this happens to you, it’s best to contact a plumbing professional to have the appliance looked at before anything more serious goes awry.

Keep these basic facts in mind as you monitor your hot water heater use—and as you seek to diagnose and understand any problems that might emerge!