A lot of people who neglect their water heater find out that the rest of their plumbing also suffers. There’s a surprising number of bad things that can happen when your water heater fails or needs serious attention. Here are some of the things that can go wrong when your water heater acts up.
Sediment Clogs Plumbing Pipes
You should flush your water heater tank at least once a year to get rid of sediment. Sediment that accumulates on the bottom of the tank and hardens can break off and travel into your hot water pipes. This can clog your faucets and your shower heads.
A Broken Expansion Tank Can Cause Pressure Spikes
You’ll notice that there’s a little tank that sits on top of your main water heater tank. This is the expansion tank. It’s attached to your freshwater line and takes up the excess pressure if your plumbing system is closed. A closed system means that you’re getting your water from a public waterworks. The expansion tank not only absorbs pressure but helps prevent the water coming into your home from flowing backwards and possibly contaminating your neighbors’ water.
If there’s something wrong with your water heater’s expansion tank, it not only has trouble preventing a backflow, but it can trap the hot water and stress the joints and valves of your plumbing pipes. This can cause them to fail over time, and broken valves and burst pipes can be expensive to fix.
Weak Water Pressure
Pipes full of sediment from your water heater weaken the water pressure to your faucets and showerheads when you turn on the hot water. So instead of a strong, steady stream, you just get frustrating dribbles.
Off-putting Water
Sediment in your water tank not only affects your water pressure and your plumbing pipes, but it can discolor your water and give it a bad smell. Even if your water is still safe to use, you won’t want to.
The Water Temperature Is Unstable
Another way a faulty water heater affects the rest of your plumbing is that the temperature of your hot water becomes unstable. Your hot water should be set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If there’s something wrong with the water heater, you may notice that when you turn on a spigot or a shower, the water may be deliciously warm one second and freezing cold the next. This makes for uncomfortable showering and unreliable cleaning of clothes and dishes.
Water heaters do more than provide hot showers in the morning. Your water heater is a crucial part of your overall plumbing system. When you need water heater services in Sioux Falls, SD, contact Sioux Falls Plumbing.
