No Matter What Kind Of Water Heater Repair You Need, We’re The One Expert Plumber To Call | Boerne, TX
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Gone are the days when you could just call and say you need a water heater repair. At one time, everyone had that big cylinder in the basement that warmed your water from a gas or electricity and held it in reserve. Now, at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio, we respond to our customers in Boerne, TX for many types of water heaters, including standard tank-based water heater repairs, work on hybrid water heaters, and servicing tankless water heaters, 24/7 for emergencies. We’re your local plumber for all your pipe, fixture, and appliance needs, classic or the latest tech. Our overall excellence makes us an easy first call for any plumbing problems you may have, and a great partner for plumbing maintenance and upkeep, including care for your water heaters to ensure their best reliability and longest service life. So, how do you know if you need repairs for your water heater? Sometimes it’s an easy call, such as no hot water flowing from your taps. In addition to that, here are a few other clues of water heater trouble to watch for.
Discolored Hot Water
Discolored water coming from both hot and cold taps is typically a result of water supply or pipe problems, while discoloration of your hot water alone is likely to indicate corrosion and sediment problems in the water heater.
Unusual Sounds from Your Water Heater
Bubbling, sizzling, rumbling, or cracking sounds from your tank-based water heater can indicate sediment buildup that needs to be flushed for better performance. Humming may mean a problem with the heating element or another electrical fault in the unit, possible in all three common types of water heaters, as both tank-based and tankless can be electrically powered, and hybrid units have a backup heating element for when the heat pump is unable to supply enough warmth to keep the water at the desired temperature. A popping noise from inside the tank-based units can also mean that there’s a risk of bursting or even exploding, so no matter what unusual noise you’re hearing from your water heater, it’s worth a service call. A variety of noises can come from tankless water heaters, usually while it’s operating. If no hot water is being used and there are sounds, a plumber may find issues in the water supply that are affecting the unit. Hissing from leaks, screeching from a partially opened valve, ticking for various reasons, and hammering that could damage pipes eventually are all heard by some tankless owners.
Insufficient Quantity of Hot Water
Tank-based water heaters often have a dual heating system, warming both the upper and lower halves of the tank for faster recovery and more evenly heated water. When the thermostat or heater for one half has failed,
No Hot Water
Even though it’s likely to be a water heater repair situation, it’s worth discussing what a total lack of hot water could mean. It could indicate a problem with the unit’s heater or heaters, such as a gas or electric energy supply failure, including a tripped circuit breaker for electric units. It could also mean that the associated thermostats have failed, and aren’t causing the heaters to warm the water.
Low Hot Water Pressure
Incoming water pressure problems for your water heater can lower the hot water supply pressure, but if your home has plumbing “under the slab,” your hot water piping may be routed underneath as well and could be leaking. Our water heater repair team can investigate these possible causes, and determine where your pressure, and possibly your hot water, is going. If the cause of leaks under the slab, correcting the leak could save you a considerable amount of lost water and wasted energy use.
Puddles Near Your Water Heater
Two common sources of puddles are found on tank-based water heaters: tank leaks, and protective valve leaks or discharges. If the water is leaking from the tank, it’s important to get our water heater repair expert in to check it as soon as possible, as further leaks or bursting could happen at any time, with cleanup of the surrounding area to follow due to flooding. In the case of protective valve discharges, typically either something is wrong inside the tank that’s causing overpressure and relief from the valve and out the attached pipe, or the valve itself is faulty and needs replacement. Either way, a prompt water heater repair visit is required to set things right. These apply to both standard and hybrid units, and leaks from tankless water heaters are rarer but can occur due to corrosion, for example. Of course, this is assuming that the source of the water in the puddle is the water heater, which in some odd cases may not be the actual issue. Is there a bathtub overflowing on the floor above?
Error Code Displayed by Your Water Heater
Newer units, especially hybrid water heaters and tankless units, may display an error code when service is needed or a part failure is detected. Many units also make an alert sound, and it’s important to make sure that you call our water heater repair team to discuss the error code’s meaning and possibly schedule a visit. In limited cases, such as a tankless unit indicating that the vent needs cleaning, user maintenance can correct the fault, but usually, some sort of professional care is needed.
Your Versatile Local Water Heater Repair Experts in Boerne, TX
Even if you’re not sure exactly what’s producing hot water in your basement, our bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio plumbers have the skills and equipment to take care of any water heater repairs you need in Boerne, TX. If you have questions about your water heater and how it works and should be cared for, or are curious about other water heater types, we’re here for you. Give our team a call today.