It is so typical for so many home owners to just forget about the water heater once it’s installed, and pay attention to it only when water heater problems start to pop up. Those water heater problems, more often than not, come in the form of ice-cold showers or a big puddle of water in your basement where the storage water heater is typically situated. Now when these water heater problems come up and you have to deal with them, do you think your water heater only needs some repairs? Or is your water heater too far gone that the only solution is water heater replacement? Here are signs that will help you decide whether to repair or replace your water heater.
Water heater problems that can be fixed
Consider yourself lucky when your water heater problems are caused by any of the following:
- Burner or heating element failure
- Extinguished pilot light for gas water heaters
- Circuit breaker trips on an electric water heater
- Stuck valves
- Malfunctioning thermostat
Fixing the water heater problems mentioned above is relatively easy on the pocket. You can fix these water heater problems yourself if you possess the skills, or you can have a professional plumber do it for you for about $150 to $300.
When water heater replacement is needed
Keep in mind that water heater replacement will always be an eventuality. Minerals in the water react with steel and lead to the corrosion of water heater tanks. Corrosion, in turn, leads to leaks, which will catch your attention soon enough in the form of a giant puddle right there in your basement. Water heater replacement may also be needed if your water heater tank is more than a decade old. Conventional storage-tank water heaters, after all, have a typical lifespan of 10 to 13 years.
The cost of water heater replacement is obviously more expensive than just repairing it. Installing a new conventional storage unit could cost you somewhere between $500 and $1,500. It may hurt your budget, but there is a bright side to water heater replacement. Newer models are far more energy-efficient than the one you’re replacing. This is mainly of its higher heat retention made possible by foam insulation injected by manufacturers between the tank and its outer shell. Newer tanks are also less prone to corrosion, thanks to new glass liners.
Once you have purchased and installed a new tank, it is recommended that you perform maintenance tasks on it in order to ensure a longer life. The least you could do is flush the tank once a year to remove sediments, and that will be more than enough to get the heater operating more efficiently and avoid water heater problems in the process. It also pays to check the anode rod—an aluminum or magnesium probe inside the tank designed to collect corrosive substances—every three years or so. When it’s caked or eaten away, they should immediately be replaced.