Water heater repairs come in all shapes and sizes. In many instances, it’s worth it to have a professional like Cabrillo come to your house to repair your unit. But as your water heater gets older, there comes a time when repairs don’t make sense practically or financially anymore and its best to invest in a new unit. So how do you know when to replace your water heater? Below are five tell-tale signs.
When to replace your water heater: 5 signs
- 1. Water heater is 10+ years old. The life expectancy of a water heater is typically between 10 and 15 years old. If the age of your unit falls into that range, you’ll want to seriously consider replacing it before you make any significant repairs. Repairing an old water heater will only delay the inevitable, and a new unit will run much more efficiently than an older one.
- 2. Water heater is producing less hot water. Over the years, have you noticed that your water heater is able to deliver less and less amounts of hot water? Reduced capacity is a problem that can develop over time with older water heaters, and in many circumstances you’d be better off switching to a new unit that operates more efficiently and effectively.
- 3. Water heater is losing efficiency. Another downside about old water heaters is that they lose efficiency over time. That’s why a big sign for when to replace your water heater is a steady rise in water-heating costs year after year. Although investing in a new unit will cost money upfront, you will recover some of that expense in future energy savings from lower operating costs.
- 4. Water heater has not been well-maintained. The life of a water heater is directly impacted by how well it has been maintained over the years. If you have not been keeping up with maintenance tasks like draining your tank annually, checking your anode rod every three years and testing yourtemperature pressure relief valve once or twice a year, a water heater replacement will come much quicker than it would for a well-maintained unit.
- 5. Leaks or corrosion have developed on your unit. If your water heater has developed leaksand cracks due to corrosion, a replacement is often your only option.
If you have any questions about when to replace your water heater, or if you’d like a plumbing system serviced or installed in your home, contact Cabrillo, your San Francisco plumbing, heating and cooling company.