Learn What Repairs Need a Plumber and When It’s Time To Replace
If your hot water heater is having issues, there are some fixes you can do at home, but most issues will require a plumbing professional to repair. Mayfield Plumbing offers hot water heater repair, updates, installation, and maintenance in and around Boulder County, Colorado. Most of our calls are for leaking units, which requires replacing the hot water heater. Luckily you have two options for replacement, a traditional tank or a high efficiency tankless model. Investing in an upgrade to a high efficiency hot water heater will reduce your environmental impact and monthly utility costs. Mayfield Plumbing is happy to discuss your options for repairing, maintenance, and installation of your hot water heater unit.
Repairing Hot Water Heater Issues
If the water from your faucets isn’t hot enough or there’s no hot water, these are fixes that sometimes you can do at home. The first option is to turn up the water temperature (do just a little and test, setting it too high is dangerous). If your water isn’t heating up at all, it could be the pilot light is out (for a gas unit). Other culprits are the heating element (for electric units) or a thermocouple (for a gas unit). If your hot water heater is noisy it could be caused by sediment build up in the bottom of the tank. Draining your water heater is important annual maintenance, and can solve this issue. If that doesn’t work, it could also be a faulty heating element. If parts need to be replaced, call Mayfield Plumbing to service the unit.
A Leaking Hot Water Heater
Most water heaters last between 10-15 years, but if you live in the mountains around Boulder and your home uses a well, it will likely have a shorter lifespan. When hot water heaters reach the end of their life they typically begin to leak. Once a water heater is leaking it must be replaced. When Mayfield Plumbing replaces a hot water heater we will bring everything up to code. Adding a drip pan under the unit and installing an expansion tank. Expansion tanks are very important, they protect the hot water heater from thermal expansion. Expansion tanks look like a propane tank and are installed on the cold inlet of the unit. If your tank is producing hot water, but you never open the faucet, the hot water will create steam. That steam will build up and increase the pressure of the water. An expansion tank is half air half water and it acts like a shock absorber for the steam. It absorbs the thermal expansion for your plumbing system, an important safety feature.
Hot Water Heater Replacement Options
When replacing your hot water heater you have two options: traditional and tankless. A traditional unit requires less maintenance. These units are better for landlords because they do not require annual servicing, however, a traditional hot water heater does take up more space and is less efficient than a tankless. Another drawback is that because traditional units are constantly cycling between heating up and cooling down (even when not in use), the water from your faucet won’t always be consistently the same temperature. The good news is traditional units are cheaper with installation typically ranging from $1,600-1,700.
Tankless options offer high efficiency, because they only produce hot water when needed. They also take up less space than a traditional unit. Tankless units are more expensive to purchase and install, typically costing around $4,000. Tankless hot water heaters also require annual maintenance to keep them functioning properly, but because they are highly efficient, they can save you roughly 40% on your gas bill. The best part is that the water is always hot when you turn on the tap!
If you’re interested in learning more about working with Mayfield Plumbing for a hot water heater repair or replacement in or around Boulder County, contact us today at 720-505-0731.