Suddenly finding yourself in need of replacing your water heater can be stressful. No hot water is no good, and you’ll soon feel the pressure to search for Santa Clara water heater replacement services. But before jumping into your Santa Clara water heater replacement project, it’s important to have some basic knowledge of water heaters under your belt. Performance Plumbing has put together this quick guide to make your Santa Clara water heater replacement project as easy as possible.
Determine if You Really Need a Replacement or Just a Repair
So your hot water heater stopped working and now you’re worried about spending the money on a replacement. Before you jump to conclusions, be sure that your water heater needs to be replaced and not just repaired.
First, how old is your water heater? If it’s less than 8 years old and still in decent condition, it could be worth it to just repair. On the other hand, if you have had your heater for more than 8 years a replacement may be your best bet. The average life expectancy of a water heater is 8-12 years, but this could vary depending on factors such as location, unit design, maintenance, installation quality and water quality.
If your water heater is leaking around the base of the tank, doesn’t work consistently and is over 10 years old, it may be time for an upgrade.
Troubleshooting Tips for Common Issues
Sometimes water heater problems are as simple as fixing a defective heating element or faulty thermostat. Other times it’s not so simple. Troubleshooting for different types of water heaters (i.e., electric water heaters vs. gas water heaters) requires following a few simple steps.
For electric water heaters the first thing to check is whether or not the power is connected. Once that is done, try resetting the thermostat. Be sure to flush out the heater to remove any sediment that has settled in the tank. You can also try insulating the hot water pipes. If none of that works, try replacing the thermostat or heating element and raising the temperature setting.
With a gas water heater, you’ll want to check the gas connection and make sure the pilot light is lit. Similar to the electric heater you can then flush out the tank and insulate the pipes. We also recommend that you clean out the gas burner and replace the thermocoupler. Finally, you can try raising the temperature setting.
If none of these troubleshooting tips resolve your water heater issues, then a replacement is likely needed.
Time to Replace Your Water Heater
Once you’ve decided that you need to replace your water heater, there are many things to consider. For example, do you want to replace it with the same type of unit or are you ready for an upgrade? Do you want a 40-gallon, 50-gallon water heater or something bigger/smaller? What is the recovery rate of the water heater? What about the size of the heater or the energy efficiency rating?
If you’re unsure of how to answer the above questions, give our qualified professionals at Performance Plumbing a call and we’ll be happy to help you answer them. Have other questions regarding your Santa Clara water heater replacement project? Just let us know and we’ll help talk you through it!