Signs Your Water Heater Is Failing

Most water heaters give you warning before they go. Knowing what to watch for is the difference between replacing one on a Tuesday and mopping out a basement on a Sunday.

Start with age. A tank heater over ten years old is living on borrowed time. The typical manufacturer's warranty on a 50-gallon tank is six years, and your water quality has a lot to do with whether it beats that — hard or aggressive water shortens the life of everything it runs through.

The signs.

• Rusty or brown hot water — usually the tank corroding from the inside.

• Popping, rumbling or banging — sediment in the bottom of the tank, cooking against the burner.

• Running out sooner than it used to — sediment taking up space, or a failing element or thermostat.

• Water around the base — trace it. A fitting or the T&P line is repairable; the tank body is not.

• The T&P valve discharging — the temperature and pressure relief valve is a safety device. If it's releasing, something needs looking at.

Repairable, or replace? Thermostats, heating elements, T&P valves and anode rods are all replaceable. If the tank itself is leaking, it's a replacement — a corroded tank can't be patched.

What helps it last. Flush it annually to clear sediment. Have the anode rod checked, which matters more on hard or acidic water. If you've had one fail early, treating the water is often the reason the next one lasts.

One safety note. The discharge pipe from the T&P valve must be in place and unobstructed. Never cap it, and never plug it.

When to call us. Any leak from the tank body, a T&P valve that keeps discharging, a gas heater whose pilot won't stay lit, or no hot water at all.