3 Signs That May Indicate That It’s Time for a New Hot Water Heater

1. Rusty water

If you witness rusty, brown water coming from your water heater and it only comes from the hot side piping in your home, this can be a sign that your water heater is rusting away on the inside and it may begin to leak soon.
However, if you have galvanized piping, you may have rusty pipes. A good test to avoid replacing a functioning water heater is to drain a few buckets of hot water out of the water heater. By the third bucket, if the water from your heater is still coming out rusty, then most likely it’s the water heater and not the piping.

2. Rumbling and noise

As a water heater ages, sediment will build up on the bottom of the tank. As the sediment is heated and reheated, it eventually will harden. When this happens, you can often hear rumbling or banging sounds coming from the water heater as it is heating up. This is a sign that the water heater is at the end of its useful life.

4. Water around the water heater

 

If you notice moisture around your water, you may have a small leak or a fracture

in the tank. As the metal heats, it expands and if there are slight fractures, water

may leak from the tank. Once the metal has cooled the inner tank will stop leaking.

However, before replacing your water heater, make sure there are no other leaks coming from either the fittings or connections to the tank. Also, make sure the temperature/pressure overflow pipe is not leaking. If all of the connections and fittings are dry, it may be time to replace the water heater.