3 signs it's time to replace your water heater

Your water heater is an absolutely essential part of your home and plays a major role in the overall comfort and convenience your home is able to provide to you and your family. From cooking, to cleaning, or just bathing at the end of a long day, you want to be sure that when you turn that handle for hot water, you are greeted by a steady stream. Unfortunately, like just about every appliance out there, your water heater has a finite lifespan, and as it nears the end of that lifespan, it is likely going to start experiencing more and more issues until it stops working entirely. Ideally, the best time to start looking for replacement options is before your system breaks down completely, but how do you know when the time is right to do so? To help answer that question, our team of skilled Louisville plumbers have taken the time to put together this short list that contains several of the most common warning signs that indicate it’s probably time to replace your old water heater.

Your Unit Is Older

Water heaters wear out over time just like everything else. With proper maintenance, most water heaters have a lifespan of around 10 years, and if yours is nearing that age, or has already passed it, and is starting to show signs of issues, it might be a better option to just go ahead and start looking at replacement options. Even if your system is still functioning properly at the moment, that chances are high that your system is going to start experiencing issues at some point in the near future, and investing in a replacement water heater when that times comes will often be a more cost effective solution than continuing to pour money into repairs for your older model.

Rusty Water

If you notice that the water coming from your faucets is starting to take on a brownish hue whenever you turn on your hot water, it could be a sign that the inside of your old water heater is starting to corrode. When this happens, you are going to want to start looking at replacement options. To ensure that the rust is actually coming from your water heater, and not from somewhere else in your pipes, one method is to fill up several 3 to 5 gallon buckets or similar sized containers, and if you notice that the brownish water is only coming out when your hot water is turned on, you can safely assume that the issue lies with your water heater and not your plumbing.

Strange Noises

As your water heater ages, sediment and other mineral deposits are going to start building up on the bottom of your tank, and as that sediment is heated and reheated over and over again, it is going to harden and reduce the overall capacity of your water heater, as well as make it take longer to actually heat your water. Not only does this mean that your hot water won’t last as long, but it is going to take longer in order to heat, and cost you more money on your energy bills while doing so. As this sediment comes in contact with your tank’s heating element, it usually results in a number of strange, loud noises that are fairly unmistakable. If you notice any loud banging, rumbling, or screeching noises coming from your tank, it is a good sign that you have sediment build up in your tank, and will likely want to start looking at replacement options in the near future.