“So I’ve got this guy I’m interested in, and we’re supposed to meet up tonight at the club,” Susie said, “so of course when I hop in the shower there’s no hot water. Sometimes the water’s so hot I can barely stand it, and other times, hello ice cubes! I’m sick of it – what’s going on and what can be done to fix it?”
Having no hot water, or having hot water only sporadically, is a sign that there’s trouble with your water heater. Water heaters are not built to last forever – even the very best models are only good for between 12 and 20 years and that expected life can vary based upon how much hot water a family uses, the conditions the water heater is kept in – those installed in dry basements last longer than those in damp basements, for example – and more.
Your NYC plumber can tell you there’s two ways for a water heater to fail. Rarely, the control systems that regulate the temperature of the water go. More often, it’s the heating elements within the tank or the tank itself that’s the problem. Intermittent availability of hot water often indicates that the heating elements care failing. When this happens, the most cost-effective remedy is to have your NYC plumber install a new water heater.
Signs your water heater is on its way out also include the appearance of puddles beneath or around your water heater. The water heater tank needs to be a sealed unit: if water’s getting out through a compromised seam or other rupture, it should be replaced immediately.
