A water heater is an appliance you rely on daily, no matter the season. In fact, a water heater can account for 40% of all a home’s heating bills during the year. That’s means a great deal of work pressure placed on a single appliance.
Even though water heaters today are built to last for many years, the stress can cause systems to need repairs from time to time. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the more common repairs you may need for your water heater. Only rely on professional service for these jobs—especially if you have a natural gas-powered water heater. Our technicians are ready to help you with any water heater service you may require.
Note: All the repairs below are for storage tank water heaters, which are the most common type found in homes. We also repair and install tankless water heaters and heat pump water heaters. If you’re interested in having one of these installed, or you have one needing repairs, contact us to learn more.
Replacing a Broken Dip Tube
This repair is less common than it used to be because of improvements in the construction of dip tubes. But it still turns up, and it’s one of the reasons for a water heater apparently losing its normal volume of heated water. The dip tube is the tube carrying cold fresh water down through the tank of the water heater and depositing it at the bottom, where heat from the heat exchanger warms it up and causes it to rise to the top of the tank. If the dip tube breaks, it means cold water will be deposited at the top of the tank, leading to a drop in water temperature. Repairs involve replacing the whole tube.
Flushing the Tank
Over time, sediment starts to gather at the bottom of a water heater’s tank, and if it builds up enough it can lead to the water overheating or problems with limescale. Flushing the tank removes this problem. This is sometimes done as part of routine maintenance, but it can also be scheduled as a repair if the water heater encounters problems.
Fixing the Circulator Pump
A water heater contains few moving parts, but one of the critical mechanical parts is the circulator pump. This pump is responsible for pumping hot water from the tank and into the hot water lines. If the circulator pump breaks, there won’t be any hot water flowing. Technicians can either repair or replace the pump.
Repairs to the Expansion Tank
The expansion tank is a small air tank sitting above the main tank. The tank contains an air cushion inside it to relieve water pressure in the main tank without allowing oxygen to get in, which would promote corrosion. If the membrane of the air cushion in the expansion tank breaks, it can lead to a pressure spike in the water heater.
If you’re looking for service for your water heater in Bethesda, MD or the surrounding areas, our plumbers are experts at providing fast and accurate repairs. We’ve built our business on honesty and integrity.
Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.