Our Burien Plumbers Tackles Common Water Heater Problems

Almost half of the calls to our Burien plumbing We do water heater repair and installationcontractors involve a malfunctioning water heater. On average, storage tank style water heaters have a lifespan of just over ten years, and this is with a good maintenance program. While our Burien water heater repair service handles tankless systems, the majority of calls are for the older storage variety.

While there are countless problems that can occur in a storage type water heater, the most common are inconsistent or non-existent hot water, rust colored water, a rotten egg smell, popping noises from the interior of the tank and water leaks or flooding. While some of these problems can be fixed without help, we routinely handle them for Burien residents.

  • If your water heater isn't giving you any hot water at all, or the temperature seems to be spotty at best, check your thermostat before doing anything else. Sometimes an errant hand or elbow hits it and turns it down. Also check the pilot light on a gas water heater, they do blow out sometimes. If the thermostat is on and everything looks fine, it may have gone bad. Only a professional will know for sure.
  • Rust-colored water means it's probably time to change the sacrificial anode rod. This rod is designed to keep the interior of the tank from rusting by catching all of the loose oxygen in the tank. If the anode rod isn't faulty (or missing) then you may have a larger problem in your piping.
  • A rotten egg smell, on top of being unpleasant, Our Burien Water Heater Repair team installs new water heaters is a sign of bacterial build-up inside the tank. The best way to reduce this smell is to flush the system. Be careful, the water in the tank is extremely hot. Our Burien water heater repair team suggests turning the unit off for a day and letting the water cool before attempting a full flush. If the flush doesn't work call us to perform a a hydrogen peroxide treatment.
  • A popping noise is a sign of sediment build-up at the base of the tank. The bottom of the hot water heater heats this sediment and it becomes superheated. When water comes in contact with the superheated sediment it immediately boils. This boiling water throws sediment against the side of the tank.
  • Water leaks have many causes in a storage tank style heater. It could be a failed anode has allowed the interior of the tank to rust out, the temperature and pressure release valve may have failed, the leak may be due to condensation on the pipes above the heater. Unless you can determine the origin of the leak, it is best to call in a Burien water heater repair specialist.