The average hot water heater lasts 8 – 12 years. If your hot water heater is nearing the 10-year mark, you should prepare for its replacement. Replacing an aged hot water heater before its time can save you the trouble of being without hot water during the replacement process.
Hot Water Smells Strange
A metallic taste in your hot water or a “rotten egg” smell can indicate that there's a problem at hand. While this may be one of the signs your hot water heater is failing, it could also just indicate that your tank needs to be cleaned or the anode rod requires replacing.
Common signs that it's time to replace your water heater include its age (usually 10-15 years), rusty or discolored water, strange noises, leaks or pooling water around the tank, and insufficient hot water supply.
A faulty pressure relief valve, cloudy water, popping noises, and a lack of hot water are other potentially dangerous signs. If you see water leakage, contact a plumbing professional right away to detect the problems with your water heating system.
Flush your water heater every six months or so. If you have harder water, or water that contains more minerals, you may want to flush it more often. If you leave town, change your water heater to its vacation setting. The pilot light will stay on, but the water will not be heated.
If neither you nor a professional have flushed your water within the last five years, Water Heaters Now recommends not flushing it yourself.
Water leaks are perhaps the most common type of water heater issue you'll face. Any water heater will start to leak eventually, as by nature water will eventually corrode your tank and create microscopic cracks or fractures.
Testing the Heating Element with a Multimeter:
The multimeter should read between 10 and 30 ohms if the heating element is working correctly. If you get a very low or zero reading, it indicates a faulty heating element that needs replacement.
Once you decide to (or are forced to) replace your current water heater, there are a few decisions you need to make to get the process started. If there are no issues or complications, a licensed plumber should be able to complete the process in 2-3 hours.
Disconnect two wires from top element. Check continuity of element with ohm meter from terminal to terminal (should read around 13 ohms). Check continuity from each terminal to metal tank (should read 0 ohms - anything else and the element needs to be replaced). Check lower element the same way as the top element.
If your hot water is no longer coming out hot or is only hot some of the time, it may be time to replace the heater. Sometimes the devices and mechanisms inside will wear down or break, causing your heater to stop heating. In some cases, this may require a simple repair.
While today's water heaters are better designed than older models, they still require regular maintenance in order to prolong their lives. With regular inspection, draining, and flushing, you can expect a gas water heater to last anywhere from 8-12 years and an electric water heater to last anywhere from 10-15 years.
Water heaters show several signs of going bad, including lack of hot water, temperature fluctuations, decreased water pressure, strange noises, rotten egg smell, visible leaks, rusty or discolored water, and increased energy bills. If your water heater is over 10 years old, it may be time to consider a replacement.
Should you drain your hot water heater every year? Yes, but that's really just the bare minimum. You should really drain and flush your water heater twice-per-year: once in the spring, and then again in the fall. The reason why comes back to what a water heater is flushing out: minerals and sediment.
A water heater may sound a beep to warn that there is a water leak. Leaks may be obvious if the floor is wet near the water heater, but the leak might also be somewhere along the line. The beeping may be initiated by a water heater shutoff feature, a flood prevention device. Beeping may also signal a gas leak.
Over time, the number of sediment increases, leading to problems with the water heater. Sediment can begin the process of corrosion and can clog the valves inside the water heater tank, leading to leaks and other issues. Both of these problems decrease efficiency and can result in costly repairs.
Expect a pro to charge you between $75 and $200 to come to your home to flush your water heater, depending on where you live. While this cost deters many homeowners from performing this annual maintenance, it can extend the water heater's lifespan by years, making it worth the additional cost.
Keep an eye out for debris suddenly showing up in your water. If you notice sediment or any brown sludge coming out of your faucet, that's probably an indication that it's time for a water heater flush. If you see any of these signs, it's a good indication that your water heater needs maintenance.