Is It Best to Repair or Replace Your Water Heater?

The water heater is a modern necessity that’s often taken for granted. This device heats water for your bathroom, kitchen and washer—it’s what ensures comfort and household cleanliness. Day after day, for years, you woke up to hot water in the shower, until one day, to your dismay, it no longer flowed through the pipes. Is your water heater broken? Is it time to replace the entire appliance, or are repairs possible?

It can be tough to decide whether to invest in water heater repairs or just get a complete replacement. Here are four top things your plumbing contractor in Colorado Springs, CO wants you to know before you make a decision:

• Age of your water heater: On average, properly maintained household gas water heaters can last 10 years, while tankless water heaters may last up to 20 years or more. If you run into problems a few years after a new water heater installation, the right thing to do would be to look into your repair options. On the other hand, it’s best to replace a water heater of any kind that is near the end of its life and showing signs of impending issues.
• Frequency and cost of repairs: Water heater breakdowns happen, but such issues should not break the bank to fix. Luckily, there’s a simple cost-benefit analysis you can use to determine whether repairing or replacing is the smarter choice. One way to do this is to follow the 50 percent rule: any water heater repair that costs 50 percent or more of what a new replacement would cost is not worth repairing. Instead, replacing the water heater is your best option.
• High utility bills: Although your utility bills may not separate water heater use from other gas or electric devices, there is a correlation between increased water heating bills and having to turn the dial on the shower faucet further and further toward the hottest setting. When you have to do this, it’s usually because you are trying to maintain a consistently comfortable water temperature. If this sounds like what you’re doing, then it means your water heater is not as energy efficient as it used to be. It has to work harder and longer to give you the same results as before, which leads to higher energy bills.
• Problems are getting worse: Just how severe is the problem? Take a look at your water heater’s tank. Is it leaking or corroding? If so, then the unit cannot be salvaged, for health and safety reasons. Replacing it is the absolute best option at this point.

If you’re curious about whether your water heater situation calls for repair or replacement, help is just a phone call away. A professional plumbing contractor in Colorado Springs, CO from Affordable Rooter can come assess your water heater and let you know what solution is needed to get you back to enjoying reliable hot water in your home. Don’t hesitate to call us anytime to schedule a service appointment!

Categorised in: Plumbing Contractor

This post was written by Writer