We’ve said it countless times before on previous blog posts, but it goes without saying that the water heater is one of many integral plumbing components. After all, no matter if it’s for washing the dishes, taking a shower or anything else, hot water is something that we all likely use every single day. With that all being said, if something were to happen to your water heater and it stopped working, I’m going to guess that you would take notice of this right away! Would you agree with that statement? Knowing that it serves such an important role and isn’t something you want to go very long without, are you aware of the reasons as to why it can fail? If not, you’re in luck because we are going to answer that exact question in this week’s blog post!
Before we start talking about that though, we would like to welcome anyone stopping by our blog for the first time. Welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! Ever since starting our business back in 2014, we have strived to provide reliable plumbing services all throughout the Kansas City area. And with water heaters being such a key part of any plumbing system, there have been plenty of water heater repair and replacement projects over the years as well! With this experience, our blog is designed to serve as a resource for homeowners and businesses looking to improve their knowledge of their plumbing system.
Live in or near Kansas City and need some help on a water heater project? New installation, existing water heater repair, routine maintenance, you name it and we have you covered for all things water heaters. Fill out the form HERE and a member of our team will be in touch!
Now…to the topic at hand: what causes water heaters to fail?
Wear and Tear
As we mentioned above, your water heater is a plumbing component that is used every single day. With this being the case, it’s not hard to see how it could experience some wear and tear over the years, right? And while it would be nice if a water heater lasted forever, that is not going to be the case! When it comes to tank water heaters, you’re looking at an average lifespan of 10-15 years. Meanwhile, with tankless water heaters, you can easily get north of 20 years. Granted there are a few variables that will come into play (including whether or not it has been properly maintained), but our first potential cause of water heater failure is simply from old age, and the wear and tear it experiences from consistent usage.
Lack of Maintenance
Speaking of wear and tear, it’s safe to say that this regular usage will cause much more damage to the heater if it is not properly maintained either! When it comes to water heater maintenance, the most important task you’ll want to remember is going to be an annual flush of the heater. The reason why this is so key can all be traced back to hard water. With the presence of hard water (which we have here in Kansas City), your water heater can start to experience mineral build-up. This can negatively impact your water heater, including forcing it to work harder to perform its normal responsibilities. All in all, scheduling a routine flushing of the water heater can go a long way in preventing mineral build-up from wreaking havoc on one’s water heater!
Too Small of a Water Heater
While each of the items above would signal a water heater that needs to be replaced, our next one isn’t necessarily the same (yet it could initially lead you to believe that a replacement is needed). When purchasing a new water heater, there are a few things that you’ll take into consideration. Deciding between tank and tankless, choosing which brand of water heater, and picking the size are a few of the more important items. In regards to the water heater’s size, that is going to be extremely important. After all, if you purchase a water heater with too small of a tank or not a high enough GPM for a tankless, then you could find yourself running out of hot water. To sum it up, the reason why I’m mentioning this here is to ensure you put some extra thought into the size of the water heater needed. If you’re having a local plumbing professional install the heater for you, it wouldn’t hurt to get their recommendations too, which will be based on household size, how many fixtures will be used at the same time and so on.
Other Potential Causes
Truth be told, there are a number of different things that can lead to issues with your water heater. As we wrap up this week’s blog post, I wanted to make sure we mentioned several of these other causes, in addition to those we talked about above. So…what else may cause your water heater to fail? Inadequate installation is definitely one worth mentioning and a major reason why we recommend going with an experienced plumber to complete your install. They’ll know all of the necessary codes, as well as required components for an effective and safe usage. In regards to required components, there are a few things to be mindful of. With tank water heaters, an expansion tank is a MUST to ensure thermal expansion doesn’t cause any issues. Just as you’ll look out for any noticeable issues with the water heater tank itself, you’ll also want to be on the watch for any expansion tank problems too and act accordingly if something arises. Another component that serves a key role (with tank water heaters) is the anode rod. The purpose of an anode rod is to attract sediment and minerals, thus causing it to corrode first (rather than the actual tank). However, once it corrodes, you will need to replace the anode rod to prevent these minerals from finding their way to the tank itself.
As you can say about any plumbing issue, it’s never a good idea to allow problems to sit for extended periods of time without fixing them either. If you notice something that looks out of the ordinary, make sure to have a licensed plumber check it out! While we weren’t able to cover every single thing that can cause issues to your water heater, we did feature a few of the more prominent ones!
Professional Water Heater Installation in Kansas City
As seen throughout this blog post, there are quite a few things that can cause a water heater to fail. While all water heaters will eventually need to be replaced at one time or another, there are definitely ways in which you can prolong its productivity and get a solid return on your investment. We hope you learned a thing or two from this week’s blog post and feel more confident in understanding the various things that are capable of causing issues to your water heater.
Worried that your water heater may need to be replaced in the near future? Are you constantly running out of hot water or is your heater starting to make some weird noises? Don’t hesitate to give our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing a call and we can help formulate a solution to resolve your hot water troubles! Our team provides plumbing services, including anything related to water heaters, throughout the Kansas City area and many of the surrounding cities.