Is Your Water Heater About to Fail?

3 Signs to Watch Out For

If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it likely doesn’t work as well as it did just a few years ago. Maybe you’re noticing higher energy bills, or water that isn’t getting as hot. If you have hard water, it can cause lime buildup in your water heater, reducing its efficiency and shortening its lifespan. And of course, our frigid Maine winters make your water heater work extra hard. These are all factors that can indicate it might be soon time to replace your water heater.

But there are a few signs that your water heater is closer to actually breaking down. Like a refrigerator, a water heater is hard to live comfortably without. Here are signs to watch for:

• Rust: Is the heated water that comes from your tank rusty? That’s a big danger sign because it means that your water heater is corroding. Corrosion can lead to a tank failure, and all the hassle and expense that goes with it, in the near future. Contact us immediately.
• Leaks: If you notice water around the base of your water tank, the likely culprit is a leak in the tank. Turn off the tank’s water supply and contact Dixon Energy right away for an inspection of your water heater.
• Strange Noises: Rumbling noises in your water heater tank are a common sign of sediment buildup in your tank. That sediment can reduce your water heater’s efficiency. Left unattended, will lead to corrosion that can reduce the lifespan of your water heater. Contact us for a service call.

Ready For a New Water Heater?

In general, replacing an old water heater makes more financial sense than repairing it. That’s because today’s high-efficiency water heaters will save you money in the long run.
If you think it’s time to consider replacing your water heater, you should consider updating to a high-efficiency tankless water heater.

Tankless water heaters offer several advantages starting with virtually unlimited hot water. While a traditional tank-style water heater can run out of hot water if you use a lot at once, tankless water heaters use an electric pilot and a hot propane flame to heat water instantly on demand. There’s no tank, so it can’t hit empty.

Because tankless water heaters are so efficient, they could help you lower your energy costs by as much as 40%. They save energy by instantly heating water when you need it, rather than keeping a large tank hot all the time.

Because they don’t require a big storage tank, a tankless water heater is small – about the size of a suitcase. It can also be wall-mounted, which means a tankless water heater can be placed just about anywhere in the house, including closets and crawl spaces.

Not having a storage tank also helps tankless water heaters last longer. Corrosive water stored in regular water heaters contribute to leaking tanks. Because it doesn’t store water, a tankless water heater will last 18 to 20 years.

Want to learn more about the benefits of tankless water heating? The experts at Pitstop can help. We offer top-quality models from Rinnai that help you maximize energy efficiency when heating your water—and can help you save with generous rebates. Contact us for more information today.