Article Written By: Max Schilling
Your water heater is an important part of your home. When it has problems, you can lose a necessity. In some cases, a worn out or broken heater can even cause damage to your home. There are certain warning signs to look for that can tell you when to replace hot water heater parts. Replacing the parts can be cheaper than buying a whole new unit, and in many instances a simple change can give your current unit new life.Not enough hot water is one issue. A complete absence of it is rather obvious, especially if you expected a relaxing shower only to freeze. When you start out with hot but it runs out before it should, the heating element could be the cause. This part is what heats the cold water in the tank, and a bad one can be quickly fixed.Rust colored water is a sign of a problem inside the tank. Generally, this is not an area that can be fixed. You will need a whole new unit. Before you run out and buy a new one, you should first check that your utility company has not run a maintenance flush, which can cause rust from the lines to get deposited into your supply.If you notice leaks, there are two possibilities. The pressure of what is flowing into the tank could be too high, which puts unnecessary stress on valves and seams. Attaching a regulator to the inlet section can fix this. The other possibility is that the bottom of your tank has too much sediment sitting there which is generally the cause of a bottom leak. The solution is to empty the tank completely, through the lower drainage valve.If the temperature does not seem right, test it with a thermometer. If there reading does not match the setting on your thermostat, it may need to be switched out for a new one. Before you do that, turn the setting higher and test again. If the reading still is not right, go ahead and switch them out.Bad smells coming from your faucets and your tank could be caused by bacteria. Some people assume there is something wrong with the whole unit, but there is not usually anything wrong at all. Turn up your thermostat to at least one hundred thirty degrees and drain the tank. If you have kids and cannot do that, add peroxide to the tank to kill the bacteria. After two or three treatments, all residual bacteria should be dead and the smell will be gone.It is often simpler to replace hot water heater parts instead of the whole thing. When one part is to blame, it makes sense to use the rest of the unit. When you exchange something, always inspect the remaining sections for damage.
This Article Has Been Published on Mon, 3 Jan 2011 and Read 364 Times