It’s that wonderful time of year again! Holidays, festivities, family gatherings—there’s so much to look forward to. But all these extra people and all their needs will create a lot of pressure. No, we’re not talking about family arguments or people getting stressed out. We’re talking about your water heater.
If you’re not 100% confident that your water heater can handle the coming holiday season, take action now, whether you need maintenance, repair, or replacement.
Additional Strain on Your Water Heater
Imagine the scene. Everyone clusters around in the kitchen as delicious meals are being made. Everyone works together to wash the resulting mountain of dishes. Everyone flushes the toilet and washes their hands over and over again. Everyone needs to take a shower.
According to the EPA, at precisely halftime during the football game so many families watch after Thanksgiving dinner, American toilets are flushed 30 million times. This uses 108 million gallons of water! Of course, your toilet water isn’t heated, but you can imagine just how much hot water is used during the handwashing, not to mention the preparation of the meal and the washing up.
An average water heater should be able to handle all this, though you might need to make sure to space out the showers so nobody gets a cold one. But a water heater that’s struggling, even just a little bit, can go from minor issues to major malfunction in a matter of hours under this pressure.
When to Get Water Heater Maintenance
It may be that routine maintenance is all your water heater requires in order to get through the holiday season. Have maintenance done if any of the following are true.
- You haven’t had maintenance done in at least a year
- Your utility bills have been increasing
- Your hot water pressure has been decreasing
When to Get Water Heater Repair
If you have any noticeable problems with the behavior or performance of your water heater, or you notice something when you look at your water heater, maintenance will not suffice. You need water heater repair if you spot any of the following signs.
- Discolored or odd-smelling water
- Strange noises from your water heater
- Dripping or puddles below your water heater
- Fluctuating water temperature
- Lukewarm water
When to Consider Water Heater Replacement
Eventually, all appliances wear down and need to be replaced. It’s time to get a professional plumber’s opinion and seriously think about replacement when any of the following are true.
- Your water heater is 15+ years old
- Your water heater has visible rust or corrosion
- Your tank, and not a connection point, is leaking
- Your water heater has required more than one repair in the past year
- Your water heater currently requires an expensive repair
Get your hot water squared away, whether that involves maintenance, repair, or water heater installation in Birmingham, AL. Then you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the holiday festivities without worrying you’ll end up with an unwanted holiday gift of a cold shower or an emergency plumber.
“Your experience is what matters most!” Contact Douglas Cooling & Heating today for help with all your hot water needs.
