The appliances in your house are designed to make your life more convenient. For example, your dishwasher does the dishes, the washing machine washes your clothes, your refrigerator keeps your food cold, and your water heater heats the water you need throughout the day. Although you can go a few days without some of these appliances, your water heater is one you cannot live without. You can’t perform many daily activities without hot water, and your hot water-based appliances won’t function correctly.
Because hot water is essential to your everyday life, you should be able to detect problems early so you can hire a plumber in Lighthouse Point, FL specializing in water heater repair before further damage occurs. Some problems can only be noticed by looking at the unit, so it’s good to check on it several times a month.
If your unit experiences any of the following problems, you’ll need to hire a plumber specializing in water heater repair.
#1 Moisture Around the Unit
Moisture on or around the unit indicates a cracked, lose or disconnected hose and can cause water damage and mold growth in the area. Although this is a relatively easy fix, hiring a plumber specializing in water heater repair is best. The plumber will replace or reconnect the hose to prevent further damage, saving you a fortune on repairing the damage and eradicating the mold.
#2 Water Pooling Around the Unit
If you notice water pooling around the water heater during your routine inspection, turn off the water and the unit immediately and then call a plumber. The pooling water indicates a crack in the tank that will cause 40+ gallons of water to flood your house, causing serious water damage and mold growth.
Unfortunately, a cracked water heater cannot be fixed, and the plumber will replace it. When the job is complete, they’ll turn the water back on, and your hot water will be restored.
#3 You Don’t Have No Water
A lack of hot water will prevent you from performing everyday tasks. Your hot water-based appliances won’t function at peak performance, so you should call a water heater repair professional immediately.
A broken heating element is the most common cause of a lack of hot water, and you’ll need a plumber to fix the heating element to get the unit up and running again. The unit’s age could also be the cause. Water heaters last eight to 12 years, and when the unit reaches the end of its life, it won’t function efficiently and cannot heat the water. A Lighthouse Point, FL plumber specializing in water heater repair will replace the unit with a tank or tankless model, restoring the hot water.
#4 The Water Doesn’t Get Hot Enough
Nobody wants to shower in lukewarm water, and your hot water-based appliances won’t function at peak performance if the water isn’t getting hot enough. You may need to hire a plumber specializing in water heater repair, but you should check the unit’s thermostat first to avoid an unnecessary service call. The thermostat should be set to 120 to 140 degrees, and adjusting the temperature will solve the problem if it’s not set correctly. If the thermostat is set correctly, you can make the call.
If your water heater has two heating elements, one may be broken, and the element that still functions will need more power to heat the water supply to 120 degrees.
If your unit is ten years old, it may not function as efficiently as it once did and may not have the power to heat the water supply to the desired temperature. This problem can’t be fixed, and you’ll need a plumber in Lighthouse Point, FL to replace the unit, so the water reaches the desired temperature.
#5 You Run Out of Hot Water Often
There’s nothing worse than running out of hot water in the middle of a shower. It’s not uncommon to run out occasionally if you use a significant amount of hot water quickly. If you run out of hot water often, you should hire a plumber specializing in water heater repair.
The number of people living in your home could be the problem. If someone new moved in recently, your existing water heater may not be big enough to meet your family’s hot water demand. If this is the case, a plumber can replace your current unit with a larger tank or a tankless unit that performs hot water on demand, and running out of hot water will be a thing of the past.
If nothing has changed in your household, a buildup of sediment in the tank could be the cause. Neglecting routine maintenance will allow a significant amount of sediment to build up in the tank, taking up the space meant for water storage, causing you to run out of hot water quickly, and it can take an hour or more for the unit to recover. A plumber can try to flush the sediment, but the unit must be replaced if there’s too much and they can’t.
Call Mainline Plumbing Today
If you need to hire a plumber specializing in water heater repair, look no further than MainLine Plumbing. We’re a full-service plumbing company and are one of the leading contractors in South Florida. We’ve been providing superior service to over 6,000 customers over the last decade and have over 20 years of experience in the plumbing industry.
Our plumbers are professionally trained, and their knowledge and skill have allowed them to handle some of the most complex jobs in the plumbing industry.
If a plumbing problem arises and must be addressed immediately, we provide emergency service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We’ll send one of our highly skilled plumbers to your house to resolve the problem quickly, preventing further issues.
If you have to schedule an appointment for water heater repair or any other plumbing service, call MainLine Plumbing or book online.
See our previous blog post!