9 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Water Heater

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a nice, hot shower, only to find yourself suddenly taking an unwanted polar plunge! Having your water heater go out can be a real pain to deal with, so it’s worth taking a little time to educate yourself about the signs of a water heater going bad. Even if you’re not able to save your water heater, you’ll at least be able to plan ahead for replacing it.

Here’s our list of signs that your water heater is on the way out…

1. You start running out of hot water

This is the first and most obvious one -- you’re taking a shower and all the sudden you’re jumping out because you get doused in cold water. Or you find that your dishwasher just doesn’t seem to be working the way it did before. While this can happen if you’re putting a lot more pressure on your water heater than normal -- for instance, if you have guests over and all the sudden you’re having twice as many people take showers in your house as before -- it can also be a sign that your water heater is breaking down.

2. You start getting really hot water out of nowhere

This can seem a little counterintuitive, because it’s not like you’re running out of hot water, right? But if you suddenly start getting big spikes of very hot water, that can also be a sign that your hot water heater is struggling. This usually indicates an issue with the thermostat, which can wear out over time. Sometimes it’s an easy fix -- you just put a new thermostat in there and you’re good to go -- but other times it can indicate more widespread problems with the heating element or pressure relief valves.

3. You have new issues with your water pressure

Lots of different things can cause water pressure issues, from clogged pipes to issues with a pressure regulator, but if you start experiencing new issues with your water pressure out of nowhere, it could indicate a problem with your water heater. Sometimes minerals can build up in the pipes coming into or out of your water heater (this is especially common in areas with hard water), or sediment can build up in your water heater tank, compromising your water pressure. You can also get kinks in the flexible pipes in your water heater, or have an issue with the shut-off valve not opening properly that can cause the same thing. Either way, you don’t want to mess around with low water pressure. Even if it’s not caused by your water heater, it could indicate other serious issues with your plumbing, so make sure to take care of it promptly.

4. You can’t keep the pilot light lit

If you have a gas water heater and find yourself having to keep relighting the pilot light, chances are that your water heater is having issues. This can be caused by something as insignificant as a little bit of dirt build-up on your pilot tube, but it can also be a sign of bigger issues with your thermocouple valve. More rarely, it’s a sign that your main control valve has gone bad. (If you find that you’re simultaneously having issues with your water pressure and pilot light, that can be a sign of a main control valve issue, as it controls both the flow of water and gas in your water heater). If you have a gas heater and are starting to have issues, try cleaning out the pilot tube and thermocouple valve, but after that, call in a pro -- there’s no sense risking damage to your home by trying to mess around with the more complicated stuff.

5. Your energy bill suddenly takes a hike

Along those same lines, if you find that you’re suddenly spending a lot more on your utilities, it’s probably a good time to check out your water heater. Older models of water heater tend to use more energy than newer ones anyway, but if you start seeing an unusual spike in your spending, it could be that your water heater is breaking down and is no longer able to use energy efficiently. Similarly, if your water bill goes up all the sudden, check out your water heater, because it could be that...

6. Your water heater starts leaking

This is always such a pain -- your water heater can start slowly leaking, causing a spike in your water usage that you don’t notice until your bill comes around. In more dramatic cases, your water heater can leak enough that it actually starts causing puddles, in which case, shut it off immediately and call a plumber. While this can sometimes be caused by relatively smaller things like a mis-fitted valve, it can also be a sign that you’ve got a cracked tank or loose pipes, and you don’t want to risk water damage to your home.

7. You start hearing weird noises from your water heater

The occasional knock or hum is no big deal, but if you start hearing lots of noises from your water heater tank, turn it off and take a look at it. A lot of times sediment can build up in the tank, which then reacts with the heating element, causing banging or tapping sounds. You can often fix this by flushing your water heater each year, but if you haven’t been doing that, or you do that and the banging sounds keep going, then it could be a sign that your water heater is about to die. The same thing applies if your water heater keeps making whistling sounds. These are usually caused by an issue with a valve, and you can often fix them if you catch them early. But if you’ve adjusted your valves and your water heater keeps making that same noise, it might be time to start planning for a new one.

8. You start getting discolored or smelly water out of your taps

Lots of different things can cause issues with the quality of your water –– from clogs in your pipes to issues with a well –– but if you’re starting to get discolored water coming out of your taps or in your toilet, check out your water heater. This can be a sign that you have a large build-up of sediment in your water heater tank, which is getting brought through your pipes and out of your taps. Similarly, if you start getting water that has a rotten or old smell, take a look at your tank. Sometimes bacteria can build up inside your water heater tank, causing a nasty, rotten egg-like smell. This is especially likely to be the case if your hot water smells but your cold water doesn’t, and if you have an old water heater with a magnesium rod in it. When these corrode, the little metal pieces that break off react with sulfites in your water, causing the smell.

9. Your water heater is over 8 - 12 years old

Like all appliances, water heaters come with an expected lifespan. While you can often help them function well beyond that manufacturer’s guarantee with good preventative maintenance, most water heaters simply aren’t built to work for a lifetime. If you’ve had your water heater for 8 - 12 years or so, it’s likely that you’ll need to replace it sooner rather than later. The exact lifespan of your water heater will vary by model and manufacturer, but most of them have a little place on them where they list the installation date, so you can check that and then see what the average lifespan is for your make and model on the manufacturer’s website.

Water Heater Preventative Maintenance

Sometimes your water heater is just done, and that’s all there is to it. But there are so many things you can do to keep your water heater working well for as long as possible. If you do nothing else, flush your tank every year, even if you have a self-cleaning water heater. It’s not hard, and it helps ensure that you don’t get any nasty build-ups of sediment, bacteria, or other things you really don’t want in your water. While you’re doing that, check the anode rod. These are in the tank to prevent corrosion, and they’re pretty easy to replace, so if you start seeing damage or age on that anode rod and replace it early, you can save your water heater for a few more years.

And of course, it always makes sense to have regular maintenance checks from a professional plumber. We recommend adding this into your schedule as part of your yearly home maintenance, it’s a great way to make sure all your appliances are working well, and it also gives us a chance to check out things like your sewer line, which are integral to your house functioning properly.

Check out this post with tips on how to make your water heater last longer with preventative maintenance!

Got more water heater repair or installation questions? We’re here to help. We’ve been the Twin Cities’ local plumbers for over 40 years, so we’ve seen just about everything that can happen with a water heater. Find out more about how we can bring you full-service plumbing at hometown pricing with a quick call to our office — we can’t wait to hear from you!