WATER HEATERS
A water heater is an appliance that uses a thermodynamic process to convert energy sources such as gas, oil, or electricity to heat water above its’ initial temperature, but does not exceed 120F. The most common type of domestic water heater in the U.S. is the conventional storage water heater. Other types include tankless or demand-type water heaters, heat pump water heaters, solar thermal water heaters, and indirect water heaters. Supreme Plumber is a licensed water heater installer. We install all types of water heaters: electric water heaters, gas water heaters, and tankless water heaters.
Water heater installation
Water heater installation is not recommended as a Do It Yourself (DYI) plumbing project due to various local codes or safety requirements, and without this knowledge, there is a risk of property damage or injuries. Before calling a plumber, check receipts for any warranty coverage, write down from the sticker on your water heater its serial #, model #, capacity, energy source, and if you have a tape measure, find out the exact height and width in inches.
Water heater repair
Typical residential gas and electric water heaters hold anywhere from 30 to 80 gallons. Traditional storage water heaters and are generally a reliable source of hot water for at least 6-12 years. Neglecting a water heater’s maintenance can lower its’ life expectancy by half or more. Impurities in your domestic water such as minerals and metals can cause corrosion, or the sediments can reduce the heating element’s efficiency. It is recommended to periodically perform preventative plumbing maintenance procedures such as flushing your water heater or replacing the sacrificial anode rod. Occasionaly storage tank water heaters might encounter one of the following issues:
* No hot water
– Make sure you turn the electricity or gas for the water off before you start working on it. The first things to check on a gas water heaters is the pilot light assembly with thermocouple or thermopile, and the gas control valve. For electric water heater check the power supply from the braker box, the upper / lower thermostats and heating elements.
* Insufficient hot water
– The most common causes are inadequate hot water pipe insualtion, broken dip tube that mixes hot and cold water together, sediment in the tank, damaged heating element (electric water heaters only), or something as simple as someone was playing with the thermostat settings
* Rusty or smelly hot water
– Rust and bacteria in older water heaters are very often leading to rusty water, or a rotten egg smell when you turn on the hot water tap.
* Water heater noises
– some water heater noises are normal such as low rumbling or popping and can naturally occur due to a thermal expansion of the water heater tank, or cold water flowing pass a heating element. Some other noises such as loud rumbling can be caused by exessive sediment and rust buildup and water heater should be flushed. Hissing sound occurs when water drop hits a hot heating element. If the water heater is brand new or was turned off for a prolonged time and was just lit, the condensation will be the most likely causing the hissing sound.
* Leak around the base of the water heater
– If there is a puttle around the base of the water heater, please start investigating pipes and connections above the water heater. If everything above the water heater is dry, inspect the T/P relief valve if any water was or is coming down the tube on side of the water heater, next check the area behind / around the drain valve and gas control valve (gas water heaters only). If all of these areas appear dry and the only signs of leak are at the bottom of the water heater, the tank most likely went bad and you are ready for a water heater replacment.
Water heater replacement
The first step in the water heater replacement process is to determine the age of the tank, and what is the length of your warranty. The most common water heaters are available with 6, 9, 10, or 12 year tank warranties. If you have a 6 year tank warranty unit that you had installed 8-12 years ago and if it stopped working, started acting up, or has a puddle around the base, these are signs that it might be time for a water heater replacement. In 90+ % of cases we will be able to prepare a quote over the phone. We will ask you a few questions, and have the following information ready to text us 1. photo of the water heater with visible area from floor to the ceiling 2. detail of the 2-3 feet right above the water heater 3. manufacturer sticker with legible model # and serial # 4. height and width of the water heater tank in inches
Tankless Water Heaters
Some tankless, or on-demand, water heater units can have a few times higher initial purchase price than water heaters with storage. Dependent upon your hot water use, it is worth consideration to install a tankless water heater particularly in a new construction or in a non-warranty replacement scenario. On-demand water heaters have significantly lower operating costs and a reasonable pay-back period as they produce hot water only as needed with no “standby” energy losses.