How Often Should You Replace Your Water Heater?
How often you should replace your water heater really depends as to whether the water heater is showing signs of failure or is just not efficient enough for your particular requirements.
When It’s Time To Replace Your Water Heater
Let’s say for example that your water heater is 10 years old ten years for a water heater is really good going, but now isn’t the time to get all sentimental about it.
Most manufactures say that on average a water heater should last between 8 and 12 years, so now really is the time to replace that water heater before it starts to fail.
Some people of course would say wait for it to fail and then get it replaced, but that really isn’t the best option. Water heaters may still look good on the outside but you can’t see what’s going on inside them, and that’s usually where the problems arise.
Leaking Water Heater
A leaking water heater doesn’t always mean that its time to replace the water heater, but if after checking that the leak isn’t coming from any pipework associated with the heater and it does appear to be leaking from the water heater tank itself then it does look like that a replacement water heater is needed.
Water Not Getting Hot Enough
This usually is a sign that the water heater is starting to fail, firstly though check to see that the thermostat has not been accidentally altered or damaged, if a faulty thermostat is suspected then get a qualified person to replace it for you.
Checks to make sure that all the pipework and tank insulation is in good order and in place should also be done, (pipework insulation or lagging is used to help reduce heat loss).
If after all that the water still doesn’t get hot enough, then now is a good time to get the water heater replaced with a modern efficient water heater.
Not Enough Hot Water
This problem usually arises when the water heater is not sized correctly for the number of people that will be using it, the water is hot, there’s just not enough of it to go round.
Of course, households that were once only small may have become bigger as families grow and you find that hot water demand has increased.
The only real solution to this particular problem is to replace the water heater with one that has a bigger capacity tank.
A new bigger capacity water heater will work out to be more efficient and will hopefully put an end to those cold showers.