Water Heater Replacement
Your water heater should continuously deliver hot water when you bathe, do dishes, mop floors, and wash the dog. If you are waiting for the water to get hot, or you run out of hot water, you may have a problem with your water heater. Call Raymark Plumbing & Sewer for all of your water heater and plumbing service needs. Ask us about our lifetime no-leak warranty on electric water heaters, and options on tankless water heaters.
The traditional water heater pulls in fresh water, heats it, stores it, and then delivers it upon request. This cycle repeats itself multiple times per day, and that’s a lot of work on the water heater. Water heaters tend to corrode and then leak as they age. To avoid problems that may arise, water heaters should be replaced after 10 years of service.
Leaks in the tank can form due to a loose pipe, a faulty pressure relief valve, or cracks and holes in the tank. Because the tank continuously expands and contracts as it heats and cools, the tank weakens over time. This fluctuation creates the small cracks and holes that allow water to escape.
In addition, older tanks get a buildup of sediment inside the tank. This makes your hot water heater less efficient and, if excessive, takes up space that could be used for more water. In the city of Seattle, we are less prone to sediment buildup due to our soft water. However, some outlying areas have water with high mineral content and greater potential for sediment in the tank.
If your water heater is over 10 years old, call Raymark Plumbing & Sewer today. Our expert plumbers will provide pricing for a new water heater, install earthquake strapping, install an expansion tank if needed, and haul away your old water heater. Don’t wait for a leak or a malfunction to occur. Contact Raymark Plumbing & Sewer to ensure you and your family can rely on hot water whenever needed.
As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that all your household appliances receive the care and maintenance they need to stay in top condition. One appliance that you may not give a lot of thought to is your water heater. However, it’s imperative to ensure it receives maintenance at least once a year, typically during the fall season.
Water heater maintenance is a general term given to encompass multiple tasks that are done with your water heater to help boost its overall operating performance and life span. These tasks include flushing the unit, inspecting it for leaks and corrosion, replacing the anode rod, and testing the valves and thermostat for optimal functionality. It’s always a good idea to have a licensed plumber do this service for you, as they will not only have the knowledge but also the right tools to perform the job.
Getting annual water heater service is a great way to help extend the overall longevity of your water heater. By removing excess sediment buildup and testing necessary components, you can ensure your water heater will operate for a long time. Professional maintenance is also ideal for enhancing the efficiency of your water heater by removing excess sediments that can slow down the heating process.
Another benefit of professional water heater service is that it works to detect potential problems with your water heater. For example, there may be a dripping leak at one of the water supply lines. By catching this problem while it’s small, you can prevent a bigger and costlier issue from developing. Furthermore, most plumbers can give you an estimated remaining life span for your unit so you can adequately plan for when a replacement will be necessary.
Since water heaters are designed to last about 10 years, it is usually more economical to replace a water heater around that age rather than repair it. You may wait longer to replace the water heater if it’s working well, but we’ve found that repairing water heaters 8 years and older is not cost-effective. In addition, make sure an older water heater is located in a place where a leak will not cause property damage.
Below are signs your water heater needs to be repaired or replaced:
Enlist the expertise of Raymark Plumbing & Sewer before you purchase a new water heater. Our knowledgeable plumbers will help you make the right choice for your home.
One factor that has led to tankless water heaters increasing in popularity is their superior energy efficiency compared to traditional tank water heaters. While installing a tankless unit will usually cost at least a few hundred dollars more, it is almost guaranteed to save you money in the long run. One reason for this is that a tankless unit only needs to heat a small volume of water at one time, which means that it doesn’t need as powerful of a gas burner or electric heating elements. Tank units need to be more powerful and produce more heat since they store a large volume of water. They also need to run at least a few times a day even when you’re not using any hot water to ensure that the water constantly stays at the correct temperature. This leads to wasted energy since the water in the tank always slowly loses some heat over time.
A tankless water heater works on demand and will only run when you need hot water at a sink, shower, etc. As such, it doesn’t ever have the same energy waste issue that plagues tank units. Depending on how many gallons of hot water your household uses per day on average, a tankless water heater will usually be anywhere from around 10% to 35% more efficient than even the best tank unit.
Another reason that a tankless water heater will save you money is that it may last almost twice as long as a tank water heater. The typical lifespan of a tank water heater is somewhere between eight and 15 years. A high-quality tankless unit, on the other hand, will typically have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years.
Tank water heaters require quite a bit of maintenance, such as regularly flushing them to remove sediment buildup and replacing the anode rod every few years. Even when properly maintained, they are also more prone to experiencing various issues that require them to be repaired or components to be replaced. Tankless water heaters require very little maintenance other than being flushed and descaled once or twice a year to prevent limescale build-up. They also have fewer components and don’t experience as much wear and tear, which means they typically have fewer repair needs.
One major issue with tank water heaters is that the tank slowly rusts and corrodes over time, which can lead to a major leak. In some cases, the tank can just suddenly and completely fail, resulting in tens of gallons of water flooding the surrounding area. The fact that a tankless water heater doesn’t store hot water means you should never need to worry about a catastrophic leak. There is always a chance that the pipes that connect to the unit could develop a leak, but this is true with tank units as well.
A tankless water heater can essentially supply you with unlimited hot water since it will continue running and heating for as long as you need it to. The only issue in this regard is that you are somewhat more limited in terms of how many gallons of hot water the unit can supply per minute. Depending on the size of the unit you have and its flow rate, it will usually be able to supply enough hot water for two showers to run at the same time. However, if your hot water demand exceeds the unit’s flow rate, you will have issues with the temperature fluctuating or the water not being as hot as you want. This is why it’s important to consult with a plumber to ensure you choose a unit with a high enough flow rate to meet your normal hot water demands.
Schedule your Raymark Plumbing & Sewer appointment today by calling (206) 440-9077 or complete our Contact form.
Raymark Plumbing & Sewer installs the Navien brand of tankless water heaters. Call us to see if tankless would be a good choice for your home’s hot water needs.One advantage of tankless is that it can save space. A disadvantage is tankless costs more than standard water heaters.
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