Corrosion and Your Water Heater: What You Need to Know

Posted on July 31, 2017November 13, 2024

The word corrosion is derived from the Latin word “to gnaw.” And that’s a pretty good description of what corrosion does to metal: it gnaws it away. Corrosion starts when water is in contact with metal in the presence of oxygen, and it’s one of the main enemies of parts of your plumbing system. Even corrosion-resistant copper pipes can suffer from specific types of corrosion.

But we’re here to talk about your water heater, a vital appliance in your home necessary for day-to-day living. Because a storage tank water heater has water in contact with metal, it sounds like a prime candidate for corrosion. Let’s take a look at how corrosion does and doesn’t affect your home’s water heater.

Your Water Heater Is Designed to Resist Corrosion

First, we have some good news. Water heater manufacturers design their products so they resist corrosion for many years. A water heater that starts to corrode right away wouldn’t be much use to anyone! Here are some of the ways a water heater keeps away rust:

The inside of the tank is lined with glass, keeping the water from coming into contact with the metal.
Air is kept out of the tank to help prevent the oxidization process. An expansion tank on top of the water tank helps ease pressure inside the tank without allowing contact with air.
A sacrificial anode rod that runs down through the tank attracts corrosion to it, essentially “sacrificing” itself to corrosion to save the rest of the system. The rod must be replaced when it corrodes completely through, which can be done during regular maintenance.

A Corroded Water Heater Usually Must Be Replaced

Now we come to the bad news. If a water heater starts to corrode, it often means the system needs to be replaced. There aren’t any repairs that can save a water heater tank when it develops corrosion on the inside or outside. If the corrosion is limited to the heat exchanger, burners, or other parts that can be replaced, sometimes the water heater can be repaired. But if corrosion starts in on a system that’s more than 15 years old, the corrosion is an indication the system is too aged and should be replaced no matter what.

Tankless Water Heaters Can Also Corrode

If you have a tankless water heater, you might think that the above information doesn’t apply to you. It’s true that tankless water heaters are less prone to corrosion than systems that use storage tanks. But a tankless water heater can suffer from corrosion if water starts to leak down onto the burners. Rust flakes on the burner can lead to a drop in system efficiency and will require professionals to repair it.

Repairs a Tank Water Heater May Need

Posted on May 22, 2017November 13, 2024

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.

Is It Time to Replace Your Water Heater?

Posted on February 27, 2017November 13, 2024

Water heaters perform a tremendous amount of work throughout the year. According to the Department of Energy, 18% of most home’s energy costs go to running the water heater. (A decade ago it was 25%, which shows how much water heater technology is improving at efficiency.) This stress on a water heater will eventually wear it down past the point of no return, where repairs can only patch the system up for a brief time and aren’t cost-effective. The better option is to replace the entire water heater.

How Can I Know My Water Heater Has Reached the End of the Line?

You obviously don’t want to rush into getting a new water heater if your current one still has a few good years of service left in it. If you have doubts about whether it’s time to replace your water heater, our professionals can assist you with making the choice. Below are a few indications that it’s time to give us a call to inspect your water heater.

Basic age: Tank water heaters last 10–15 years on average. If your water heater is over 15 years old, you should consider a replacement even if nothing seems currently wrong with the system.
Rising energy bills: With almost 20% of your utility bills going to the water heater, it will start to make a significant difference in costs when age wears it down. Putting in a new water heater will start saving you money right away.
Lower hot water volume: Are people in your home starting to go with lukewarm showers in the morning? Then water heater is starting to lose its heating power—and that usually means it’s coming to the end of its service life.
Corrosion: Water heaters are designed with defenses against corrosion. But corrosion will eventually set in, and when it does it almost always means the system needs to be replaced.

Changing Water Heater Type

If you decide that a water heater replacement in Potomac, MD is your best option, you have an opportunity to make a major change from a standard storage tank water heater. There are excellent alternatives to the conventional water heater that is now available that can provide you with improved energy efficiency and overall superior performance:

Tankless water heaters: Also known as “on-demand-type” water heaters, tankless water heaters are rising in popularity thanks to the many benefits they provide. Tankless systems heat water as it is needed (“on demand”) so there is a constant supply of hot water. They consume less energy because they don’t suffer the standby heat loss of a storage tank system. Although not ideal for all homes, a tankless water heater installation is definitely something to give serious thought.
Heat pump water heater: This is a variation on the storage tank water heater that uses the power of a heat pump to warm up the water. A heat pump draws thermal energy from the air around the water heater and then transfers it into the tank to heat up the water supply. This is a great alternative to using a standard electric water heater since it costs less to move heat from one place to another compared to generating it through electrical heating elements.

No matter what type of water heater you end up having installed, you can depend on our expert team to handle the service. Request an estimate with us today.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD and Montgomery County.

Times When a Tank Water Heater Is a Good Installation Choice

Posted on January 9, 2017November 13, 2024

We’re proud to offer a number of excellent alternate options when it comes to water heaters. The standard for most homes is a storage tank water heater, but now there’s the choice of a tankless water heater or a heat pump water heater. Both offer many benefits, such as cutting down on energy use and enjoying longer service lives.

In fact, when you look over all the benefits of these types of water heater, it might seem like there’s no reason to go with the conventional storage tank model. However… this isn’t exactly the truth.

No Two Homes have the Same Water Heater Needs

Deciding on the best water heater for a home isn’t something that should be done without careful consideration and the input of professionals. For example, although tankless and heat pump water heaters have the potential to save money through their energy-efficient performance, there isn’t a guarantee that they’ll save a home money over the long run. It depends on water use patterns. And because these two types of water heaters are more expensive to install, it’s possible they won’t pay back their costs compared to a less expensive tank water heater.

One area where a tank water heater has a special advantage is that it can take much more concentrated use compared to other systems. It’s easy for a tankless system to become overwhelmed, struggling to keep heating sufficient water when there are multiple taps on. If your household uses a large amount of hot water, it sometimes more advisable to go with a standard tank model.

Another thing to consider is the hot water plumbing. Changing to a new type of water heater may require re-piping to accommodate it. If you stay with a tank water heater, installing it is a much simpler job.

To make certain that you have the best possible water heater to meet your home’s needs, speak to our water heater specialists.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice in Potomac, MD.

Is a Heat Pump Water Heater Enough for Winter?

Posted on December 19, 2016November 13, 2024

We often recommend that our customers look into different options when it comes to a new water heater. The standard gas-powered or electric storage tank water heater isn’t the only choice anymore. Tankless water heaters offer advantages like unlimited hot water and high energy efficiency. And for homes that use electricity, going with a heat pump water heater is a money-saving alternative to the conventional electric water heater.

The Heat Pump Winter Dilemma

Heat pumps in general—not just water heater types, but the ones used for home comfort—come with a bit of a caveat that can worry people about whether they’ll work well enough for their needs. A heat pump operates through a process of heat transfer: it uses the circulation of refrigerant to move heat from one place to release it in another. In a heat pump water heater, the system leeches heat from the air around where the water heater is installed and moves it into the tank.

But since water heaters are usually installed in unheated parts of a house, such as a basement, where does the heat pump actually get heat when the temperature drops?

Although there is some scientific truth to this concern, in a practical application a heat pump water heater encounters no problems at operating during cold weather. There is always some heat in the air for the heat pump to access, no matter how cold it gets. Indoor comfort heat pumps can handle sub-freezing temperatures so a heat pump water heater will have no issue at all with a slightly cool basement or garage! The water heater will work all through the winter at the same energy efficiency you’re accustomed from it.

If you think that installing a heat pump water heater for your home in Silver Spring, MD or elsewhere in Montgomery County is a good idea, contact our water heater specialists and they’ll provide you with all the assistance you need.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice.

A Way to Save Energy with Your Water Heater in Winter

Posted on November 28, 2016November 13, 2024

During the winter, many HVAC companies offer lists of ways that homeowners can save money through the cold weather. You might not think that you would be able to get similar sort of advice from a plumbing company, but when it comes to your water heater, there are ways you can cut down on your bill. After all, the water heater accounts for 18% of all energy used in a house—by far the most of any single appliance.

Adjusting the Water Heater for Winter

There is a simple step that you can take with a water heater that will mean significant savings over the coming months. Find the control panel for the water heater (which is called the aquastat) and turn down the temperature setting. The standard setting during the year and the default for most water heaters is 140°F. Lower it to 120°F, which is usually marked as the “warm” setting. This will help reduce heating bills during the winter, and it won’t have an appreciable effect on comfort—in fact, it can even help prevent accidental scalding. Return the water heater to its standard temperature setting when spring comes around again.

You May Need to Repair or Replace Your Water Heater

In some cases, you may need to take more drastic steps with your water heater other than just lowering its operating temperature. If the water heater has shown any signs over summer or fall that it’s malfunctioning, arrange for repairs as soon as you can with professionals. And if your water heater is more than 15 years old, it’s time to put in a new one. We strongly recommend installing a tankless water heater, which will make a tremendous improvement in your energy costs.

If you need help with your water heater, or you have any plumbing needs this winter, just call on Mallick Plumbing & Heating. We serve Chevy Chase, MD, and the surrounding areas.

Possible Problems You Might Run into with a Tankless Water Heater

Posted on November 21, 2016November 13, 2024

Do you have a tankless water heater in your home? Then you probably can’t imagine having to go back to the older style of water heater, thanks to all these fantastic advantages of a tankless system:

Unlimited hot water supply—the system is always ready to heat more
Lower energy bills
Compact size—80% smaller than tank water heaters—giving you more room
Reduced number of repair needs

But we’d like to focus on that last point. Your tankless water heater might run into malfunctions far less often than a storage tank system, but you can’t avoid all malfunctions. Below are some troubles that you may run into with your tankless water heater in the future—and what you can do about them.

The water isn’t getting hot enough

You turn on a tap and receive lukewarm water. You wait for it to get hotter, but it doesn’t. This lower temperature water may be a result of multiple taps being turned on at the same time. This is one of the few drawbacks of going tankless: the system can become overtaxed if there is too much demand placed on it from multiple taps and appliances simultaneously. If this problem happens often, you might consider installing a second tankless system. Many larger houses use more than one tankless water heater.

The water is getting too hot

Okay, what about the opposite problem? You certainly don’t want scalding hot water coming from your showerhead! If this happens, check the settings on the water heater; it’s possible they’ve been set too high. But this can also occur because the temperature sensor has broken. You’ll need to call water heater repair technicians to remedy this.

There’s no hot water at all

As soon as you discover no hot water at all coming from the taps, check on the power source for the water heater. The gas valve may be shut off. A circuit breaker could’ve tripped—and gas water heater does use electricity in order to operate. If you can’t trace the source, call for professional repairs right away; don’t make any attempt to repair the system yourself.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Bethesda, MD, and the surrounding areas. Contact us for tankless water heater services.

How to “Go Green” with a Water Heater Installation

Posted on October 31, 2016November 13, 2024

There are a variety of ways to make your house more environmentally friendly. You may not have thought a new water heater installation is one of them. But when you consider how much power goes into running your home’s water heater, you’ll begin to see that putting in the right type of unit can make a significant difference. Below are three ways that you can “go green” when it’s time for a new water heater:

Install a Higher Efficiency Tank Water Heater

Let’s say that you don’t want to make a dramatic change in the kind of water heater your home uses: you’d prefer to stick to the tried-n-true storage tank type. If this is the case, make sure that any new installation is an ENERGY STAR-certified model. These units use around 10% less energy than standard water heaters and can save four-person household hundreds of dollars over its service life. When it comes to green power, if every home used an ENERGY STAR water heater, it would remove about 10 billion pounds of greenhouse gas annually—the equivalent of 900 thousand cars!

Install a Tankless Water Heater

A tankless water heater doesn’t need to run as often as a storage tank model, and this makes it, even more, energy efficient. Not only will you help the environment and your energy bills with a tankless model, but you’ll also have limitless hot water.

Install a Heat Pump Water Heater

If your home doesn’t have access to natural gas, one of the best options for an energy efficient water heater is a heat pump model. These types of water heaters consume far less electricity than a standard electric water heater, which helps in cutting down on dependence on coal and other fossil fuels. Heat pump water heaters also produce few harmful emissions.

Find out more about going green with a new water heater installation: call on Mallick Plumbing & Heating! We service Rockville, MD, and the surrounding areas.

4 Warning Signs You Need Repairs for Your Water Heater

Posted on October 11, 2016November 13, 2024

A water heater is an appliance for all seasons. Even in the midst of a summer heat wave, you still need to have the water heater working away steadily to provide your house with heated water.

However, winter is probably when you’ll be giving your water heater the most consideration, and during the fall it’s wise to keep a sharp lookout for any indications that the water heater is suffering from malfunctions. Even a small issue with a water heater can rapidly balloon into a complete system shutdown—and that’s most likely to happen on one of the coldest days of the winter! Below we’ve listed a few of the early indications that your water heater is running into trouble that’ll require professional repairs before the situation worsens.

ONE: Rumbling from the Tank

Don’t panic about the tank bursting: this is highly uncommon. But you should be concerned about the tank overheating, which can lead to leaks and other damage. This rumbling may also mean that cold water is mixing near the top of the tank with the hot water, possibly from a broken dip tube, which is a common malfunction.

TWO: Discoloration in the Hot Water

A reddish tint to the hot water can point to a number of issues, such as breaks in the hot water lines to excessive sediment in the tank that will require professionals flush it.

THREE: Water around the Base of the System

You shouldn’t see any water pooling around the tank of your water heater. This means leaks are occurring somewhere, and you must have professionals on the job right away to find and seal them.

FOUR: Decline in Hot Water Volume

Are you not getting as much hot water as you used to? This could be an issue with the burners, the heat exchanger, or the sediment build-up on the bottom of the tank.

As soon as you detect any of these warning signs, call on our water heater repair experts. We are here 24 hours a day to provide help when you need it.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice for Gaithersburg, MD.

Category: Water Heaters