Slabtown Residents: If Your Water Heater is Leaking, Don’t Go Cold Before Calling for Service!

You go down into your Slabtown basement or lower level, and … splash. What’s this? Why is there water on the floor?

The villain usually isn’t hard to locate. Unless you’re facing a sudden, really serious plumbing scenario, chances are the hot water heater is leaking. It’s inevitable. A water leak in the water heater happens to everyone in Slabtown eventually.

You might have even picked up on warning signs. Was less hot water suddenly available? Did hot showers inexplicably turn cold? The water heater was sending a message.

If the water heater’s leaking, it’s not going to stop. Better call Kelly James Service, the water heater repair, replacement and installation specialists in Slabtown. They’ll clean up the mess and install a new water heater within hours.

What will the replacement be? Usually, it’s apples for apples. An electric heater is replaced for another. The same holds for gas heaters.

Before calling Kelly James Service about your hot water heater leaking, note the capacity (in gallons), brand and height of the unit. Pass along this information, so they bring a replacement.

Water heaters operate 10 years on average. Their lives are an endless battle against contents of the water they heat. High acidity, iron and calcium all take their toll.

Calcium is the biggest enemy. The mineral erodes a heater’s mechanicals. Even when using municipal water, a water softener is recommended to remove calcium.

Water heaters can suffer other misfires. Gas heaters might have problems with the gas valve or burner assembly. Electric heaters can encounter problems with the heating element or thermostat. All can be replaced. Slabtown residents frequently ask the question, are you better off just replacing the entire unit?

Some newer Slabtown homes have power vent water heaters, which might stop operating for a totally different reason. Power vent heaters use a flame vapor sensor, which turns off the burner if certain flammables – such as paint cans – are detected nearby. These water heaters are recognizable by a top blower connected to a PVC vent tube.

Many Slabtown homeowners ask about tankless water heaters. These units sit on a wall and, instead of storing hot water, heat it on demand. Theoretically they create endless hot water. Their potential drawback is cost. Installing one requires substantial new plumbing infrastructure, which adds up.

Can you boost the life of your water heater? Sure. Drain a few gallons from its lower drain valve twice a year. Doing so removes sediment collected at the bottom of the tank.

It’s prudent to inspect your water heater monthly. Watch for changes in its appearance or, obviously, leaks. If something looks changed, and it’s getting older, consider having Kelly James Service replace the heater proactively. It’s better than facing a small flood!

If your hot water heater is leaking, shutting off, or just not generating as much hot water as you want, keep one name in mind: Kelly James Service. Their promise is to maximize your hot water, and minimize unwelcome surprises … such as wet feet.