There is nothing more frustrating, at least for me, to have a cold shower in the morning—especially with colder weather making its debut. Sometimes it is simply unavoidable, whether it is because you’re in a hurry or you just simply wish to avoid waiting for that hot water heater of yours to start working properly. Typically you can prevent this from happening by taking a look at the way your heater is performing; these 3 signs will tell you with complete accuracy if you need a water heater repair or you just need to change that old boiler altogether.
- The rusty water test: It is recommended that you check out your water heating at least once every two months to see if everything is working properly. One of the things you’ll want to look for is rusty water around your piping, especially the hot side of it. If rusty water is the case, then you may want to call a Plumber and make them assess the situation, as your water heater may be rusting on the inside.
- The spooky sound test: No, those are definitely not ghost haunting your water heater. That rattling and rumbling can also be a sign that your water heater is at the brink of ending its useful life. Most of these sounds will be produced by accumulated sediment that has been heated and re-heated over and over again, while your boiler is doing its job. This sediment can decrease the efficiency of your water heating system, thus resulting in more expensive gas and electricity bills. So, if the sounds that come out of your boiler are persistent, then “who are you going to call?” Yup. Your plumber!
- The aging test: This is the ultimate test. No matter how attached you are to that old boiler, if it is more than 10 years old then it is time to give that old geezer a rest. Check the serial number, which will be on the manufacturer’s sticker (usually at the top end of your boiler), the serial number will include a code that will look like this A061158618, the letter A represents the month when your boiler was manufactured. Since the letter A is the first letter of the alphabet, then that means your boiler was born in January, now the number “06” is the year in which it was manufactured, so that means your boiler was released in January 2006. Unlike wine, not all things get better with age.
In any case of an emergency, call CW Schultz and Son for immediate repair.