Every electrical equipment requires proper maintenance for its longevity. Similarly, speaking of water heaters, as it is essential for every household, requires your attention. It involves several aspects from when to replace it to how long does a hot water heater last. This blog is written to provide you with a proper guide for maintaining your water heater. So, let’s begin.
How long does a water heater last?
Different factors lead and contribute to the fact that when your water heater needs to be replaced. Your water heater begins to show some indications before it starts to malfunction that include tinted water, clanking noises from the unit, and cold water obviously.
With regular maintenance and upkeep, a new water heater will last an average of 12 years, give or take. However, numerous factors, including these little-known statistics, influence how long your hot water heater will survive.
Here are some factors that contribute to the life of the water heater.
- Whether it is with tank or tankless
- Quality of water (the hard water minimizes the life of a water heater)
- The usage of the unit
- The location of your water heater (whether it is placed in the basement, or cabinet)
Note: A water heater takes more time to heat the water if it is located in the basement.
Secondly, the durability of your water heater depends upon the water type (hard or soft). The soft water extends the life of your water heater to some extent while the hard water lessens it. Just to let you know that the type; electric or gas has nothing to do with the durability of your water heater but they possess variation in the lifespan.
Life of Tank and Tankless water heaters
Speaking of tank water heaters, the life expectancy of such a heater is 8 years to 12 years on average. However, on average, a tankless water heater can last long around 20 years. Similarly, the electric heater has a life expectancy ranging from 10 to 15 years while the gas heater lasts for 8 to 12 years.
When should I change my Hot Water Heater?
There are few signs that will indicate when there is a need for replacement in the water heater. If your heater has turned 10 or above, you will begin to notice some issues and malfunctioning.
It includes
1. Not getting enough hot water
The most important signification for the water heater is not producing enough or the insufficient amount of water in shower and faucet. If the heater begins to take more time for heating the water and you are getting only cold water then the unit has a deposit of sediment or minerals.
2. Deposit of Sediment in the Unit
The sediments (dreg or lees) build-up at the bottom of the tank and affect more if the unit is old. This is because it affects the heating elements of the heater. You can get the help of professionals to clean the sediment and flushing out. It could more likely alleviate the issue. This requires a replacement for the replacement of the older water heaters.
3. Low or No Maintenance of the Hot Water Heater
Another important factor that can affect the life of the unit is the poor maintenance of the water heater, especially for the tank heaters. If there is leakage or knocking noises then your unit must be replaced. Also, it begins to run the rusty water in showers or faucets. This might be because your tank is over 10 years.
The repairing is expensive as it will require so many parts to be replaced. Thus, if there are more signs to replacement for your unit, it is recommended, instead of replacing the parts, get a new unit as the parts might malfunction in the future again.
Signs for the Water Heater
While maintaining the regular health of your heater, look out for the instructions that the manufacturer has indicated. Secondly, keep a manual check on the performance of the water heater too. Here are some issues that might pop up during the malfunctioning
Rumbling Noise
Such kind of noise is produced by the unit when it is almost about to end its working. Many manufacturers suggest regular flushing of the tank water heater. This is to minimize the risk of calcium buildup which is caused by the hard water as the calcium causes a thick layer in the bottom.
Smell of the Water
When the heater needs to be replaced, the water that comes out of it begins to smell odd. This is because of either the metal or the bacteria which is collected in the tank. Try to clean the tank, if it does not work then definitely you need to change the heater.
Tinted Hot Water
The color will be changed when the tank needs to be replaced. It will turn into red or dirty yellow and will come out from any faucet that shows rusty water. Such problem is originated not because of the galvanized piping however, it is produced due to the malfunctioning of the heater.
Decrease in the Water Temperature
When the heater shows a decrease in temperature that means it takes a lot of time for heating up the heater. This indicates that your water heater is about to the end of its life. The sediment deposit with the passage of time consumes a lot of space. Schedule a regular drain for your tank as it will not leave space for the water.
Bad Water Quality
The hard water is havoc for a water heater and minimizes the service life by 2 to more years. If you observe a white limescale building up slowly on the plumbing surface then the water heater needs to be replaced.
Location of the water heater
Water heaters that are placed in the garage or in the crawl places can also impact the efficiency of the unit. This is because of consistent drop and rise of the temperature in such areas and requires more time to heat up the water. Such things wear out even more often.
Water Pooling
The water heater tank often shows the bad news. Sometimes, the water heater begins to leak that might be coming from the fitting or the valve that requires either a replacement or a proper fix. It is recommended to hire a professional for such a job to get the right solution for it.
How often do you need to replace your water heater?
It becomes easy when you start observing the differences that your water heater begins to indicate. According to the experts, it is suggested to replace your hot water heater before two years of the actual life expectancy. This, however, will help you from a lot of hassle as it is a wise idea because it will save your money as well as time. You can use water without any worries. Secondly, getting a new water heater proves it’s more efficient than the older one and cuts a lot of costs.