Hot water is an essential component in most homes. From the moment you wake up to the moment you get into bed, hot water plays a significant role in the day-to-day functioning of the house. Since the water supplied to homes from municipal suppliers or private wells is cold, most houses are equipped with a water heater.
The heater’s function is to heat cold water and distribute it to home areas that require cold water. Joe Hillman Plumbers can help with inspections, repairs, and replacements if you’re facing water heater issues. We have years of experience working on water heaters in Port St. Lucie.
Contact our home plumbing experts in Port St. Lucie today.
Repairing and Replacing Water Heaters in Port St. Lucie
Even though residential water heaters are designed to function for as long as possible, they are still susceptible to various issues. Daily use contributes to wear and tear that reduces a water heater’s efficiency, making it more likely to break down and require repairs. Additionally, unlike other kinds of home renovations that can be done DIY, fixing water heaters should be left to the experts.
Depending on the condition of your water heater, our plumbers may recommend either repairing or replacing the heater entirely. Minor repairs could include parts replacements, a system reset, or flushing the water heater.
The Most Common Water Heaters in Use
Before discussing some of the issues that may require water heater repair or replacement, let’s look at some of the most common water heaters in the country. They include:
Tankless Water Heater
Unlike a conventional storage-tank water heater, tankless water heaters don’t incorporate tanks into their design. Instead, a tankless water heater uses superheated coils that fill with water and heat it in a flash before transporting it to where it’s needed. This means tankless water heaters can produce plenty of hot water in record time, even for large families.
However, you must ensure you opt for a tankless water heater that’s the right size for your household. They can run on either gas or electricity, but the larger tankless water heaters may require certain additional equipment on installation, such as a special sealed vent system.
Storage Tank Water Heater
This water heater features a large insulated tank that holds a certain amount of hot water (usually 50 gallons). It’s one of the most used water heaters, but its hot water capacity is limited to the amount of water it can hold. Schedule a service online if your family uses a conventional storage-tank water heater. Our technicians will clean it two times a year to remove sediment and mineral build-up and prevent corrosion.
Storage tank water heaters are easy to install and use. However, it can take up to an hour for a 50-gallon tank to refill and reheat after it runs out of hot water. With proper care and maintenance, your storage tank water heater could last up to 12 years.
Heat Pump Water Heater
Hybrid or heat pump water heaters draw warmth from the air and ground to heat water. Since they only use electricity to transport heat from the air and ground to the water, heat pump water heaters can use up to 63% less electricity, according to ConsumerAffairs. They are extremely energy efficient and can last around 13 to 15 years.
Condensing Water Heater
This water heater is most suitable for houses that use natural gas as a primary fuel source. It uses exhaust heat from the home’s natural gas system to heat water in a tank via heating coils installed at the bottom of the tank.
Condensing water heaters are very energy efficient and require yearly cleanings. Such a water heater could last 10 to 15 years with proper care.
Solar-Powered Water Heater
As the name suggests, a solar-powered water heater draws energy from the sun to heat water via solar panels mounted on the roof. It’s probably the most energy-efficient water heater, according to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), but it usually needs a backup energy source for cloudy days.
Solar-powered water heaters require regular cleaning and can last up to 20 years with proper cleaning.
Signs You May Need Water Heater Repair or Replacement
As you can see, most water heaters are designed to function for at least a decade, and some of them can last as long as two decades with proper care. Unfortunately, they’re still prone to many issues in the interim, especially if the owners don’t take good care of them.
If you notice the following signs, you should probably consider calling Joe Hillman Plumbers to replace or upgrade the water heater in your home.
Your Water Heater Is Leaking.
Water leaks can be pretty hard to detect and are known to cause water damage before they’re spotted. Depending on the size of the leak and the cost of fixing the leak, we may recommend either repair or replacement.
You Constantly Run Out of Hot Water.
If your showers frequently become lukewarm soon after turning the water on, you may need a heating system with a large tank. This could also signify that your water heater is running less efficiently.
Your Utility Bills Are Constantly Increasing.
A faulty, old, or broken water heater will not function as effectively as it can. This means that it would require more energy to heat the same amount of water, increasing your energy use and hiking up utility costs.
Your Water Heater Is Old.
Water heaters in older homes may not keep up as much as they can. They may use more energy to heat the water and run out of hot water much faster. Furthermore, an old water heater will require regular repairs to keep it working. In this case, it would be a good idea just to replace it with a new one.
Your Warranty Has Run Out.
Most water heaters will come with a warranty of at least 12 years. A water heater that has surpassed its warranty will not have coverage and will likely feature outdated designs. You should consider replacing it with a newer model even if it hasn’t shown age-related issues yet.
Contact Us for Water Heater Inspection in Port St. Lucie
Has your water heater been acting up recently? Does it run out of hot water regularly and require constant repairs? It may be time to replace it with a new unit. Contact Joe Hillman Plumbers at (954) 283-5468 to schedule an inspection.