Let Our Torrance CA Plumbers Help You Decide If You Need a New Water Heater

Sometimes it's really easy to tell if you need to call a plumber for water heater repair, sometimes it's not. So we've put together a list of things you should check before calling one of our Torrance, CA plumbers.

You know you need water heater repair if:

1. You turn on the shower and get blasted with cold water
2. Your utility room or garage looks like a lake
3. The water from your sink is so hot it creates a steam bath effect
4. The water heater has strange sound coming from inside it
5. When you turn on your faucet it smells like rotted eggs
6. Your hot water is a nice rust color

Here's What the Problem May Be

If your water is too hot or too cold this can indicate a problem with your water heater's thermostat. It may also be a problem with the heating element in an electric model or the gas flow valve in a gas-fired water heater.

A severe leak might be the result of the intake valve being loose, broken or corroded. It could also be corrosion in the body of the tank itself (although this would have been preceded by rust colored water for at least a week).

Popping or banging sounds from the interior of the storage tank point to sediment build up at the bottom of the tank. The sediment gets heated up and causes water at the base of the tank to boil causing a popping sound. Larger piece of sediment can be projected into the side of the tank causing the banging sound.

A sediment problem can also be to blame if there is a rotten egg smell whenever you turn on a faucet. The sediment in the base of the tank combines with loose hydrogen and allows bacteria to grow. A full tank flush is about the only way to handle this problem. If the flush doesn't work a Torrance, CA plumber could try a peroxide treatment to remove the bacteria.

Traditional storage tank water heaters have an anode rod in them. The entire purpose for this piece of metal is to oxidize and prevent the interior of the steel tank from rusting. If your water is running orange and brown, it's a good bet that the anode needs to be replaced.