What’s A Perfect Day For A Water Heater Repair? | Irving, TX

At Tioga Plumbing & Electric, we help our Irving, TX area customers with our experience as well as our skills. For instance, when we perform water heater maintenance, after dealing with hundreds or even thousands of them, our team members have a good idea when water heater repairs are going to be necessary, and how urgent they are likely to be. Our knowledge gives you the opportunity to, at least some of the time, pick a day that’s convenient for you and schedule a visit from us, rather than noticing trouble brewing in the basement and saying “uh-oh,” then calling for emergency service. It goes without saying that, as plumbers, we like things to flow smoothly, including your schedule.

Pressure Relief Valve

If the pressure relief valve on your water heater, a mechanism on the outside somewhere near the top with a pipe running down from it, is discharging water, you could have one of two types of trouble. Either the valve is faulty, in which case it’s not reliably protecting your home from pressure problems in your hot water heater, or it is doing its job and you have pressure or temperature problems in your water heater. Either way, a prompt hot water heater repair is necessary, because you’re not sure that you’re protected against serious pressure problems. Today is a perfect day for this kind of water heater repair, or soon if not today.

Anode Rod

Once every few years, your anode rod will need replacing. It’s not urgent, and it’s easy to plan. Performing this kind of routine water heater repair during maintenance is a great idea. The anode rod helps reduce corrosion of the tank, so it’s a very helpful component of the heater, and shouldn’t be allowed to dissolve completely as it will over time. If your hot water smells like rotten eggs, it’s usually a sign that the rod is not doing its job and bacteria are growing, especially if you have well water. Depending on your water type, the anode rod may be aluminum, aluminum with zinc, or magnesium. Your water heater repair expert will make sure that you have the right kind, and if you add a water softener system your anode rod may also need to be changed to another type. If the anode rod dissolves and is not replaced, the tank will also corrode faster and your water heater life will be shortened. It’s not an urgent repair, but it’s definitely a necessary one, performed on a scheduled basis every few years. Read More: The Critical Role of Hydro Jetting in Water Line Repair

Thermostat

Your water heater may have an upper and a lower thermostat, and when there’s a problem with one or the other you may have strange hot water problems. If just one thermostat and heater are working, you may run out of hot water fairly quickly as the other half of the tank is not being heated properly. Before you begin a hunt for the guilty when the shower water runs out, it’s a good idea to check the water heater and keep the peace. Make sure to check the pilot light or circuit breaker too. This can be an urgent issue if you don’t like cold showers and need to keep washing clothes and dishes in hot water. Otherwise, you can schedule a repair sometime soon for best efficiency, performance, and longevity of your water heater’s components. A note: if you set your water heater thermostat too low, you won’t have hot enough water for good hygiene such as hand washing. Too high is also not recommended because it will make the hot water in your pipes hot enough to scald people, especially children and seniors. Although many units arrive set at 140 degrees F, 120 is the EPA recommended setting.

Heater

If it seems like the thermostat is not working, it could of course be a heater problem. As mentioned above, when the water heater seems to have trouble supplying hot water, you can check the circuit breaker or pilot light for a simple fix that sometimes does the job. Otherwise, a call to the plumber for water heater repair is necessary. We’ll do some testing and perform the appropriate repairs, ensuring that you can relax.

Tank Corrosion

The lifetime of a hot water heater is usually defined by the tank integrity. When it has corroded to the point where there are risks of leaking or other damage, it’s definitely time to change it. The anode rod’s function helps extend the life of the tank, usually to about ten years but it can be longer. When we perform a maintenance visit, we can give an indication of where in its lifespan the tank currently is. That can help you plan ahead. By changing your water heater at the appropriate time, of course, you avoid water heater related flooding or, in some rare circumstances, explosion from pressure problems in a weak tank. Read More: What Your Plumber Wants You To Know About Drain Cleaning

When the Pipe Goes Under the Slab

In some cases, the pipes for the hot water heater are located under the concrete slab on which your home is built, usually along with other water supply pipes. When pipes leak under the slab, it’s not always easy to detect the problem at first. The hot water pipes are an exception, because the water that leaks under the slab is hot, and your basement floor will probably have a warm spot. If you notice this, it could help your plumber diagnose the problem more quickly if you let them know.

Call Your Professional Plumber for Irving, TX Who Keeps Your Hot Water Flowing

Whether you need water heater repairs urgently or want to schedule maintenance and routine repairs for the future, our team can help you. Tioga Plumbing & Electric serves customers in the Irving, TX area with expert plumbing services including water heater repair in Irving, TX, and expert advice to help them plan their home’s plumbing repairs and updates. Give us a call for emergencies and to schedule water heater repair and maintenance.

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