It’s always our goal to keep people’s appliances running. As long as they’re safe and we can make sure they’re working well, we avoid recommending that anyone replace a costly appliance. On the other hand, nothing lasts forever. Our customers are our neighbors, and we don’t want them facing unnecessary hazards or wasting money on repairs that won’t have a lasting effect.
Water heaters are a great example of an appliance that people tend to ignore until there’s a problem—usually a cold shower, but sometimes a worse situation. But you shouldn’t ignore it! If you keep an eye on your water heater, you can avoid disaster by catching problems early.
Corrosion
The main enemy of the water heater is corrosion. This is what eventually leads to the end of most water heaters’ lives. In the presence of both water and oxygen, the steel your water heater’s tank is made of will oxidize. The iron within it will turn to rust. If you can picture what severely rusted metal looks like—flaky, like layers of pastry—you can see that this seriously compromises the tank’s structural integrity.
Preventing Rust with Water Heater Maintenance
If you have a plumber give your water heater regular check-ups, they’ll be able to keep corrosion at bay for much longer by replacing the anode rod as needed. This component is made of a metal that will attract the chemical reaction and allow itself to rust before the tank can be affected, which is why it is sometimes called the sacrificial anode rod.
Catching Corrosion Early
If you take a peek at your water heater with some frequency, you might be able to spot corrosion when it starts to occur to smaller, external components. If those can be replaced promptly enough, you might be able to prevent the spread of corrosion to the tank itself. The tank is what you really need to protect. If that fails, the water heater can’t be saved.
Replacement is Better than Disaster
When the tank does begin to corrode, it’s only a matter of time before the structural integrity fails. This could happen slowly, with cracks and leaks. If you’re not keeping an eye on your water heater, you could end up with unpleasant water damage and even a mold mitigation situation on your hands.
The other possibility is a sudden failure. The water heater’s tank could break open or burst in a massive gush of water, potentially causing a lot of damage and even injury to anyone nearby. This disaster can be avoided by making sure you get a water heater replacement in Slidell, LA when it’s needed.
With regular maintenance and giving your water heater a glance now and then, the need for replacement won’t catch you by surprise. And whether it’s time to schedule maintenance or repair or you need to learn about your replacement options, we’re ready to help.