24/7 Water Heater Services in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer Counties

Most tank-style water heaters last about eight to 12 years. Tankless water heaters last 15 to 20 years. Around this time, the appliance starts running less efficiently and becomes more prone to failure.

While most people wait until their water heater stops working to replace it, this can be incredibly stressful, especially if it fails catastrophically and floods your home. It’s much more convenient to shop for a replacement around the 10-year or 15-year mark, depending on what type of water heater you have.

The most common causes of a leaky water heater include:

• Broken drain valves
• Corrosion on the bottom of the tank
• Loose water line connections
• Broken temperature/pressure relief valves

The best way to diagnose and repair a water heater leak is to call a trusted plumbing company.

The flame should be blue with yellow tips. If it appears more yellow-orange, this is a sign of incomplete burning, which could lead to poor water heater performance and the production of deadly carbon monoxide. Check your burner every now and then, particularly if you’re having problems with your hot water.

The most common thing affecting water heaters is sediment buildup, especially as the water heater ages. When water is heated, minerals like calcium and magnesium collect along the sides of the tank and the burner. If these minerals aren’t filtered out of the water heater, they form a sediment barrier that will settle on the burner and seriously affect your water heater’s performance.

That depends on the cause of the problem. If the temperature and pressure (T&P) valve fails to turn off your water heater when the temperature or pressure is too high, the unit could explode. However, many water heater leaks are caused by other issues (such as sediment buildup that leads to corrosion), so the explosion of your tank isn’t the top concern. You should call a plumber if you notice any type of leak around your water heater.

When you turn on a hot water faucet for the first time in a few hours, you may have to wait 30 seconds or more for the water to heat up. Once it starts coming out hot, it stays that way for a while. This happens because several feet of pipes separate the faucet from the water heater, and the water cools as it sits unused in the pipes. The further away a fixture is from the water heater, the longer it takes for the water to heat up.

If you keep running out of hot water, your water heater could be failing, or there might be sediment buildup that needs to be flushed out of the tank.

It’s important to understand a phenomenon that occurs with tankless water heaters called the cold-water sandwich effect. This is when hot water flows from the tap, followed by a few seconds of cold water before the water gets hot again. This happens because tankless units turn off while not in use. When you call for hot water again, it takes a moment for the burner or heating element to kick on, so a bit of cold water enters the pipe. This is normal and doesn’t require repair.

Yes. Just like your furnace and air conditioner, your water heater needs regular tune-ups to perform at its best. The main reasons to schedule water heater maintenance include:

• Increased efficiency
• Lower utility bills
• Fewer breakdowns
• Lower repair costs
• Longer system lifespan