Is it Time for a New Water Heater?
Water heaters wear out over time and years of use, just like everything else. Preventive maintenance and prompt repairs can keep the system healthy for over a decade, but sooner or later you’re going to need to install a new system. If your water heater is older, and you’re not entirely sure whether or not to install a new one, we recommend talking to a professional in person about it before making any big decisions. Still, if your system fits the following symptoms it’s probably a safe bet that you’re going to need a new one sooner rather than later.
Problems with Heat Production
You can exhaust a water heater’s supply of hot water if you put enough demand on it, like taking long showers or having multiple appliances using it at once. As a water heater ages, though, the amount of demand necessary to exhaust it will get lower and lower. If your water heater seems to be having difficulty providing enough hot water for your needs, it might be that it’s time to install a new system.
Constant Breakdowns
If your water heater is breaking down multiple times a year, you almost definitely need to install a new system. Breaking down every once in a while is no big deal. Breaking down every few months is a sign that the wear and tear on the various parts of the water heater is causing them to break down in groups. This issue is only going to get worse the longer you use your water heater. You’ll save a lot more money in the long run by just replacing the system, rather than continuing to pay to replace the entire water heater one part at a time.
Old Age
As you may have noticed with the above problems, most of the issues related to replacing water heaters are related to old age. The older a water heater gets, the more chronic issues it will accumulate over time. As the system ages, this list of issues will get longer and longer. Eventually, the weight of all of these problems will cause the system to break down permanently. Before that happens, though, it will become more costly than it’s worth. The average useful lifespan of a water heater is around 15 years. If your water heater is older than that, then we highly recommend that you install a new system.
Of course, as with pretty much everything we are going to discuss on this blog, it’s a good idea to consult with a professional technician in person before you make any permanent decisions regarding getting this kind of work done. If you have concerns about the state of your water heater, have a technician take a look at it and make a recommendation on when to replace it.
