A water heater is truly an appliance for all seasons. No matter the temperature outdoors, you and your family will always need hot water on demand from the taps around the house. Hot water is necessary for cooking, cleaning, running the laundry and dishwashing machines, and for comfort when bathing and showering.

Although a water heater may know no seasons, it does know the passage of years… and eventually, those years wear it down to the point that it is wiser to have the system replaced. To assist you with figuring out when you should call for professional water heater replacement, we’ve put together a list of the common warnings signs that a water heater has outlived its usefulness:

• Increased energy costs – You should have a good idea how much it costs to run your water heater from month to month. When those costs begin to rise and you can’t account for it with an increase in hot water use or another external reason, the problem might be a water heater that is too old to work efficiently any more.
• Corrosion – When corrosion starts to appear on the tank of a storage water heater, it usually means that the whole system must be replaced. Corrosion in other places can sometimes be fixed, but make sure to get a professional opinion.
• Decline in hot water volume – Have you found that people in your household are starting to go with cold showers in the morning where this never used to happen before? This usually indicates a water heater that is failing due to age.
• Noisy operation – If the water heater makes a racket each time it comes on, then you should have professionals look over it to see if the best strategy is to replace it.

Lifeline Plumbing, Inc. offers comprehensive service for water heaters, including replacement and new installation, in Elgin, IL and the surrounding areas.