Did you know that water heating makes up 18% of your home's energy costs? Because of this, it's an extremely important part of any property, so if you're a landlord or property manager, here are five signs that will show you that you need to get a new electric water heater.
Aged Water Heater
Most water heaters have a lifespan of approximately a decade. Keep a close eye on them and be ready to get new ones before they start acting up and introduce risks to the properties they are in. If you've acquired a property or taken charge of one recently and have no way to tell, check for a serial number on the heaters to help you know when they were manufactured.
Rust in the Water
When you start to notice rust in hot water inside the units, it is usually a sign that the heater has crossed its expiry date and leaks will follow soon. If rust has taken hold in the pipes, you can tell by draining a few buckets of hot water from the tank and if the rust has eased up by the third bucket, then it might be the pipes. Galvanized pipes are often prone to rusting with age.
Noise From the Tank
An aged heater will produce rumbles that get louder as the tank heats the water. This noise may be from sediments that formed on the tank floor after years of use. A professional may flush the heater annually to get rid of buildup, so if there's still noise despite having done flushes for the lifetime of the heater, it's a sign that you need to get a new one.
Leaking From the Tank
Leaks occur due to the metal in the tank expanding over time from thousands of heating cycles. Leakage can cause property damage that will cost you a lot in the long term, and they are bound to get worse after they start so make sure that leaking tanks are replaced as soon as they're spotted.
Failure to Heat by The Tank
This final sign may be due to an incorrectly adjusted thermostat, a broken heating element, or a tank too small for the house or unit it is made for. If it's the last, you have to replace the water heater.
It may be easy to take hot water for granted, but it's going to be hard to ignore when residents in your units suddenly have to contend with cold water. You can effectively avoid such scenarios by making sure that your water heaters are all functioning well.