Water heaters often do their jobs quietly and without a fuss, and unless some major disaster befalls it, we don’t tend to think much about them. That can make it hard to determine when your old water heater is ready to be put out to pasture. With good maintenances, a water heater can be expected to give you many years of faithful work, but everything wears out, and sooner or later you need a reliable service to install a new one. Here in Olympia, WA, there are services who can perform the job with professionalism and care, but you still need to call them when the time has come. “When should I replace my water heater?” you ask. We’ve included a quick list of tips below.

• Water around the base of the unit. If there’s water puddling around the base, the tank itself may have been breached. Water can also come from pipe breaches and excess pressure in the lines, though that isn’t cause for replacement. If the pipes are dry and the fittings don’t appear to be damaged, the water is probably coming from the tank.
• Rusty water from your faucet. If the water in your tap – especially the hot tap – comes out rusty and discolored, then it means your water heater’s insides are rusting and may be about to breach. Get it replaced before you end up with a big mess on your hands.
• Lack of hot water. This sounds rather obvious, and in some cases the issue means repair instead of replacement, but when the heating elements burn out, they won’t be able to produce hot water the way you need them to.
• Age. Most water heaters are designed to last between 10 and 15 years. While good maintenance can push yours past those limits, when an old water heater combines with a lingering issue or frequent repairs, it may be time to put it out to pasture.

Call Brooks Plumbing to install and maintain a new water heater!

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