Water heaters are not seasonal devices: you and your family need to have a supply of hot water on demand every day of the year. So when your water heater starts to show signs that it is failing to deliver the amount of water you require day to day, it’s something you need to have looked into right away.

There are a number of reasons for a water heater to start to lose hot water volume. We’ll look at some of them below, and what technicians can do to remedy them:

The water heater is too old

No water heater will last forever, as much as we would like the opposite to be the case. Once a water heater is a few years past its manufacturer’s lifespan estimate, it will wear down to the point that it won’t be able to meet your regular hot water requirements. When the hot water volume starts to drop, check on the water heater’s age. If it is older than 15 to 20 years, it’s definitely time to have it replaced with a new, higher efficiency unit.

There is too much sediment in the tank

Sediment will get inside a water heater’s tank over time, and as it gathers at the bottom of the tank it will create a layer of insulation between the heat exchanger and the water. This will make it harder for the gas jets to warm up the water. Fortunately, this is one of the easier problems to solve: technicians will flush the tank to clean out the sediment.

The dip tube is broken

This is a common problem. The dip tube is the tube that carries cold, fresh water down into the tank to the bottom where it receives heat from the burners. Should the dip tube break, the cold water will start gathering at the top of the tank, mixing with the hot water and lowering the water temperature. Technicians will need to replace the broken dip tube to get the water heater working once more.

No matter what service you need for your water heater in East Dundee, IL, count on Lifeline Plumbing, Heating & Cooling.