The water heater is an integral part of the home that keeps the family happy by providing hot water for showers, wash, baths etc. But there comes a time in the life of the water heater when some issues or the other starts appearing. You then have to take the hard decision of whether the water heater needs repair or replacement. It then becomes imperative that you take into account certain factors that will determine whether you have to repair the water heater or replace it altogether.
When you start getting less hot water, you should first consider whether the demand for hot water in your home has increased or not. Have you expanded your home or added more baths or the members of your family has increased; resulting in an increase in demand for hot water. If your water heater is not very old, then the demand for hot water has exceeded the rating of the water heater. This is a case of replacement of the water heater as you will need one water heater with a higher rating to keep up with the increased demand of your family.
Your Water Heater
One beautiful morning you might discover that the hot water from the water heater is not heated as usual. The temperature of the water seems to have gone down although you have not tampered with the thermostat of the water heater. There might be some major leaks somewhere; however, you could not discover such a leak. The other possibility will be that the water heater, its pipes, fittings have corroded. Sediment may have built up inside the water heater. This can also be due to the ageing of the water heater. The lifespan of a water heater is around 8 to 12 years. Over time the system has corroded, and with age, the efficiency of the water heater has gone for a toss. Get ready now to replace the water heater.
Since you are replacing the water heater, you can mull over the question of choosing the right water heater for your home. The water heaters are now very energy efficient. You can choose one that is powered either by electricity, or gas, or propane. You can have one that is carrying the Energy Star tag which is supposed to save a lot of energy. You can also consider one with a warranty of around ten years. After choosing the water heater, you will have to choose a qualified local plumber to install the water heater in your home. Being equipment of a delicate nature you should be very careful about the type of plumber you select. He should be skilled enough to replace your existing water heater with the new one without error.