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

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

The villain typically isn’t hard to locate. Unless you’re facing a sudden, really serious plumbing situation, safe bet is the hot water heater is leaking. It’s unavoidable. A water leak in the water heater happens to everyone in Germantown eventually.

You might have even picked up on symptoms. 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 Germantown. They’ll clean up the mess and put in a new water heater within hours.

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

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

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

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

Water heaters can sustain other issues. Gas heaters might have problems with the gas valve or burner assembly. Electric heaters can develop issues with the heating element or thermostat. All can be replaced. Germantown homeowners frequently ask the question, are you better off just replacing the entire unit?

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

Many Germantown homeowners ask about tankless water heaters. These units mount on a wall and, instead of storing hot water, heat it on demand. Theoretically they create endless hot water. Their potential negative is cost. Installing one requires significant 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. This action removes sediment accumulated at the bottom of the tank.

It’s prudent to look over 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 preferable to facing a small flood!

Whether 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.