There’s nothing quite like a nice hot shower in the morning before you get dressed and head off to work.
Or maybe a soothing bath at the end of a long day.
For refreshing mornings, relaxing evenings, clean dishes, bright white clothing, and a myriad of tasks in between, you can thank the hot water heater.
Just like the other appliances in your home, your water heater is often forgotten in the basement or closet until you’re faced with a leaking or burst water heater. Right here in Lebanon, KY, we deal with water heater repairs of all shapes and sizes.
Common Water Heater Repairs
Your water heater should be a reliable, but silent partner in your home. It works hard in the background providing hot water anytime you need it.
Until it doesn’t anymore. Here are a few signs that indicate that you may need to call a Lebanon, KY plumbing company to schedule a water heater repair.
- Water Leaking From the Top: If there is a leak at the top of the system, this could be because either the inlet or outlet pipes are loose or possibly you have a failed valve.
- Water Leaking From the Bottom: This is often a common sign of condensation that occurs normally in homes across the Lebanon, KY, IN area. However, if there is a lot of water leaking, it could be from the overflow pipe or from the actual tank, which is a sure sign you need a water heater repair as soon as possible.
- No Hot Water: This could be a variety of reasons. It might be a sign of a broken heating element, which can be replaced, or a thermostat issue which can be repaired. Sometimes it occurs when the power has been disconnected, which is easy to remedy.
- Not Enough Hot Water: Often, this is because the water heater is too small to keep up with the demand of a full home. However, it could also be a simple thermostat or dip tube repair. An experienced plumber can inspect your water heater to determine if it can be repaired, or if it’s time for a full replacement of your system.
- Water is Too Hot: If you can’t escape scalding hot water, it’s likely due to the thermostat which can be easily lowered.
- Low Pressure: This can be a tricky one to diagnose, but a qualified water heater repair technician in Lebanon, KY can help. It could be due to crossed plumbing lines, improper installation, a water heater that is too small to keep up, or a faulty heating element.
- Making Strange Noises: If you hear popping or rumbling in your water heater, it’s likely due to sediment in the bottom of the tank. This can cause the bottom to overheat and actually boil the sediment instead of the water.
- Dirty or Rusty Colored Water: This is almost always due to the sacrificial anode rod, and the tank itself is beginning to rust. This may lead to a leak or rupture, so it’s important to call for a water heater repair soon.
- Smelly Hot Water: If you open the tap and it starts to smell like rotten eggs, that’s a problem. This is usually a sign of bacteria that only a professional water heater repair technician can take care of.
- High Pitched Whining Noise: This is usually because the heating elements have a lot of scale backup on them, sometimes they can be cleaned, but more often than not they will need to be replaced by a professional plumbing contractor.
- Pilot Light Will Not Light: There are a few reasons why a pilot light won’t light or stay lit. Often it’s due to a clogged tube that needs to be replaced, or a loose thermocouple. It could also be due to a bad gas valve. All of these issues should only be evaluated by a qualified water heater repair technician.
- Takes Too Long to Reheat: This is pretty common with electric water heaters, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. However, it is worth having a plumber check the thermostat and the heating elements to see if a replacement part can speed things up.
Water Heater Installation: How to Select the Perfect One
Unless you’re a plumbing expert, it can be confusing to know how to choose a water heater when it’s time for a replacement.
Here are a few of the basic criteria we recommend to our customers in the Lebanon, KY area when selecting the best type and model of water heater for their homes:
- Fuel type, availability and cost: Water heaters can use natural gas, propane, or electricity. The fuel type or energy source you use affects the operation costs, the size and overall energy efficiency.
- Size: To have enough hot water to satisfy the demands of your home, you need a properly sized water heater. Too small and someone will always have a cold shower, too much and you’re wasting money unnecessarily.
- Energy Efficiency: You want to find the right balance between the right system and the best energy efficiency. It’s important to know how energy efficient a water heater is before you purchase it.
- Costs: Of course, any purchase you make needs to fit in your budget, including monthly operating costs. It’s important to compare the installation and unit price of the model as well as the additional costs associated with other less or more energy-efficient models.
How Much Does a Water Heater Cost?
The type, size, water usage, efficiency are the main factors that will determine the cost of the exact water heater that you will need. However, the national average is $1,133.
For best results, give our office a call to talk to one of our expert water heater repair technicians and get their expert advice on which kind of water heater will be best for your home and family right here in Lebanon, KY.
Different Types of Water Heaters
There are five main types of water heater available nationwide. Each one is for a different situation and it’s important to consult with a professional water heater repair technician in the Lebanon, KY area before deciding which one to purchase.
Conventional Storage Tank Water Heater
This is the most common and likely what you picture when you think of a water heater. It’s a large tank that holds water to be heated, the size of the tank determines how much hot water you can have at once. When the tank runs out, you have to wait for it to fill up again.
Tankless Water Heater
A tankless water heater has (you guessed it) no tank. Instead, you have an unlimited supply of hot water as super-heated coils heat water almost instantly on demand. Tankless heaters still come in different sizes, and you need to ensure you choose the right size, even though you’re not choosing a tank.
Heat Pump Water Heater
A heat pump uses the heat in the air and in the ground to heat your water. It is very energy efficient because electricity is only used to move the heat, not to generate it. However, this is a large unit that requires quite a bit of room to install.
Solar Powered Water Heater
You can use solar panels on your roof to heat the water inside your home. This is the most energy-efficient of them all. It is a closed-loop system which saves lots of money for those who have plenty of sunny days but still requires a backup system to run on cloudy or rainy days.
Condensing Water Heater
If you have natural gas as your main energy source, a condensing water heater is arguably the best option because it uses the unused gas fumes to create heat. It looks similar to a conventional tank, but funnels the extra fumes through a coil to put them to good use and uses very little energy in the process.
FAQs About Hot Water Heaters
Turn Up The Heat
Water heaters are the silent workhorses of every household. They work around the clock to provide heated water for all our household needs.
Most people pay little to no attention to their water heater until suddenly they are faced with a freezing cold shower in the morning.
The average homeowner only buys 1 or 2 hot water heaters in their lifetime, so it’s not an everyday purchase, and dealing with water heater repair or replacement can be a headache.
We are here to help make things easier by getting you the repairs you need or an upgraded unit that will serve your home and family in Lebanon, KY for years.
If you’re faced with a water heater repair or installation need, give us a call today.
Lanham Refrigeration is proud to serve Lebanon, KY and the surrounding communities.
