Signs That It’s Time To Replace Your Hot Water System

Your high quality hot water unit will usually last 10 years or more, but here are some tips from Proximity Plumbing on how to know when to replace it.

Age

Most quality hot water units will usually last 10 years or more. However if your system is approaching or past this age and you are experiencing some issues, it may be worth considering to replace it.

The need to replace your hot water unit may be made premature if your household has outgrown your hot water unit and is causing it to work overtime to keep up with your household hot water demand.

For example if you have multiple bathrooms, dishwashers and washing machines! All these fantastic things can unfortunately take their toll on an ageing or too small water unit

Discoloured Water

Corrosion or rust inside a water unit can be identified through brown, red or rusty water coming out of taps.

Get a plumber to check out the source of water discolouration as it may also be caused by a build up of sediment in the tank (which can also lead to tank corrosion or system overheating)

Noisy

Sediment can be blamed for noisy hot water heaters – it’s a bloody nuisance! Accumulating sediment at the bottom of your tank can contribute to noises, which are caused by bubbles escaping from beneath the sediment, making a popping, banging or cracking sound.

You’ll be pleased to hear that sediment build up can be easily drained from the tank, therefore meaning it is important to address these noises as soon as they occur, to prevent long term damage and corrosion.

Leaks

A leaking hot water unit can become a substantial problem very quickly.

Damage can be caused to the unit itself, but if the hot water unit is located inside your property, it has the potential to cause damage to walls, floors and other surrounding elements.

Leaks commonly occur from the inlet or outlet connections, at the pressure relief valve or from the tank itself.

If left un-repaired, leaks can quickly lead to mould or mildew growth, potentially causing health problems for those living in the property.

Frequent Problems

If you have had to call for help several times in the past year regarding your hot water unit, it would be well worth considering upgrading to a new system.

Upgrading can be a great chance replace your existing hot water unit to a more energy efficient unit, potentially saving hundreds on future power bills.

Don’t wait for your hot water unit to shut down all together. Trust us – if past experiences are anything to go by, it will decide to shut down at the most inconvenient of times.

Winter will be on our doorstep before we know it, so we recommend you start taking notice of your hot water unit’s behaviour.