Like most other complex appliances, water heaters benefit from regular maintenance. One of the more common issues with water heaters is an accumulation of sediment in the tank. There’s sediment dissolved in almost all water – the measurement for how much sediment is dissolved in water is called water hardness.
Because Winnipeg’s water hardness falls within the moderately hard range, it’s likely you’ll see some sediment build-up in your tank. This is, in part, because the heating process encourages sediment to pool at the bottom of your tank. Sediment in your tank can lower your water heater’s lifespan and efficiency.
Sometimes, you may hear popping or banging noises inside your hot water tank. That’s a good sign that there’s sediment in there. Discoloured spots on your hot water tank are another telltale sign. Sediment deposits can create hot spots which overheat and damage the tank.
There are a number of less obvious signs that your tank is full of sediment. The most common of these is, unfortunately, a sudden spike in your power bill. You might also find your water is taking a longer time to heat up (a real pain when you’re looking forward to a hot shower at the end of a long day) or, worse yet, that there’s no hot water at all. Of course, all of these things can be symptoms of a bigger problem than water sediment, but sediment is usually an excellent first place to look.
Why? Sediment, you see, is very easy to deal with. All you have to do is flush your hot water tank. There are a couple of ways you can go about this. The most cost-effective way is to take the DIY approach – the process is simple enough that the Government of Alberta created their own guide to water tank flushing.
The second option is to give us a call. This is a particularly good option for those who aren’t confident or experienced in DIY projects – using our services eliminates the worry that you might damage your heater when trying to flush it. We can also assess the damage that any sediment build-up has caused to your hot water tank. Should we find sediment wasn’t the problem, we can then proceed to find and fix the real problem. We offer hot water tank repair in Winnipeg, and we provide 24/7 emergency service if you need your tank fixed now.
Sediment build-up is, of course, only a problem if you have a hot water heater with a tank. Tankless heaters aren’t subject to the same problems, so if you have any of the above symptoms with a tankless heater, give us a call right away – it’s not going to be as easy to fix as flushing a tank. For plumbing services in Winnipeg choose Clean Line.
