Water Heaters: Why Is There Cold Water In Your Appliance?

If your fairly new water heater doesn't make or keep the water hot, contact a plumber today. Your water heater could have one or more problems to repair, including a worn out or corroded heating element. Learn more about your water heater and what you can do to repair your appliance below.

What's Wrong With Your Water Heater?

Although hot water heaters can experience problems once they approach their expiration dates, new or fairly new water heaters can also develop problems with their parts. Heating elements are some of the parts inside a new water heater that can break down quickly. 

Water heating appliances generally contain an upper and a lower heating element. Although both elements can corrode or wear down, the lower heating element causes homeowners the most problems. The lower heating element lies close to the bottom half of a water heater tank, which is where most of the sediment in the water falls. If sediment clings to the lower element, it can corrode and stop heating the water inside your tank.

If you think the lower heating element inside your water tank is bad, call a plumber today. 

How Can a Plumber Service Your Water Heater?

The first thing a contractor or plumber may do is check the age of your heating elements. Most heating elements only last a few years before they require replacements. If both of your heating elements are several years old, have a plumber replace them.

If the lower heating element is the only part inside your water heater that shows signs of corrosion, a plumber will replace it instead. A plumber will also need to flush and clean out the water tank during services. The sediment sitting in the bottom of the tank may stick to and corrode the new element in the future.

If none of the heating elements require servicing, a plumber will check your water heater for other issues. Issues such as clogged water lines and valves can keep your appliance from performing well. In this case, a plumber will unclog the lines and tighten or replace the valves to solve the problems at hand.

If a plumber diagnoses your hot water heater with severe issues, install a replacement. Even if your water heater is fairly new, it may not be sound enough to heat your home's water.

Contact a plumber near you for more information about heating unit repair.