Six signs your water heater is on its way out
Water heaters rarely fail without warning. These are the signs worth a call before a small problem becomes water on the garage floor.
The warning signs
- Water pooling around the base of the tank
- Rusty or discolored hot water
- Popping or rumbling while the burner runs
- Hot water running out faster than it used to
- Moisture or corrosion around the fittings on top of the tank
- A pilot light that will not stay lit on a gas unit
Leaks at the base are the urgent one
A little moisture on a fitting can often be repaired. Water coming from the tank itself usually cannot — it means the tank wall has corroded through, and it will not get better. If you see water around the base, shut off the cold-water supply valve on top of the heater and call.
If the tank itself is leaking, shut off the cold supply to the heater and call. That leak only gets bigger.
Repair or replace?
Plenty of water heater problems are repairs: a thermocouple, a gas valve, an element, a relief valve, or a connection on top of the tank. We diagnose first and explain what we found, what it will take, and what it will cost before the work starts. If replacement makes more sense, we will tell you why and size the new unit to the household.
Regular maintenance delays most of these problems. See our water heater flush specials, or request service if you are seeing any of the signs above.
