Day: September 30, 2021

Most homes have a water heater of some kind, but most people don’t know much about them. The main thing that makes most people remember their water heater exists is the running out of hot water. However, if you’re a homeowner or beginning to have water issues, you may start asking the eternal question: When do you replace your water heater?

Outdated 

Let’s cut to the chase. If your water heater is 8-10 years old, you should consider replacing it. If it’s over 10 years old, you should almost definitely replace your water heater. Finally, if you’re even wondering about when it should be replaced, there’s a good chance things are going wrong already.

An appliance that turns off and on, runs all the time, and has such a heavy workload as the water heater must retire. Ten years of heating up water for showers every day – or sometimes multiple times a day – is a lot of work. If you have two people living in a home and showering about every day for ten years, your water heater has provided enough hot water for over 7000 showers! That doesn’t even include hot water for laundry, dishes, and washing up at the sink.

Rusty Tank or Water

If your water heater’s tank is rusty or the tank is dispensing rusty water, you need to replace it. If the rust is coming from hard water with iron in it, you should consider buying a water filter that softens water. Otherwise, the hard water will continue to destroy appliances that take water, such as your sink or a fridge with a dispenser. Plus, the rust will coat the inside of pipes, damaging their integrity and narrowing them. If you need home replumbing because of hard water damage, give us a call. We can come out and take a look, then give you an estimate.

If you don’t have hard water, rust could be a sign that the water heater has lost its internal coating and/or has some kind of crack that’s letting in air. Either could be dangerous and shouldn’t be ignored.

Leaking

If your water heater is leaking, it is no longer airtight. That’s a huge safety concern, as it could mean pressure causing further damage, the water heater exploding, and more. Leaking is never something to ignore in a water heater. Have a professional replace it immediately.

Mysterious Noises

Mysterious noises in a water heater are never a good sign. Generally, your water heater should only make the kind of noises you expect, such as a hum. If there are any popping, klinking, dripping, or tapping noises, something is loose or damaged. Any damage in a water heater poses a serious safety risk.

Water Isn’t Getting Hot

If your water is no longer getting hot, your water heater has given up the ghost. Something vital broke completely. If your water heater is fairly new, you should check the warranty. You may be able to get a replacement or refund. However, if your warranty is no longer valid or the water heater is already reaching its age limit, opt for a replacement.

Have you suddenly stumbled across a pool of water in your kitchen? You’re not the only one scrambling to Google to find out why, and what to do about it. That’s why our team at POM Plumbing has put together a short list of causes to help you sniff out the source of your kitchen water leak.

Sink

The first place to check is the sink. The faucet is the easiest to rule out. If there’s a mystery puddle on the kitchen floor, unless your sink is backed up and overflowing, the faucet couldn’t have caused it. However, the drain and water line are both suspect. Open the cabinet beneath your kitchen sink. If all seems dry beneath it, you can move on to the next appliance. However, if there’s water pooled inside the cabinet and spilling out of it, it’s time to look further. 

If the water pooling is substantial, it’s most likely the water line, since it would take a steady stream of water coming in for anything more than a puddle. If the water line is broken or leaking, you need to turn off the water to the sink. There should be a knob on the wall at the back of the cabinet. Turn it as far to the right as you can. If the water doesn’t stop leaking after ten seconds, you’ll need to turn off the water main, which is likely located in the garage.

If the water line doesn’t seem to be the problem, and you can see a leak coming from your drain pipe, put a bucket or towel under it and give us a call. No matter which sink issue is leading to a leak, we’re here to help.

Fridge

The first thing to know is whether your fridge has a water or ice dispenser. If it doesn’t, and the puddle is slightly sticky, it’s probably coolant leaking from the fridge. If that’s the case, you’ll need to buy a new one. Freon leaks can be dangerous, especially since it’s in the vicinity of your food.

If your fridge does have a dispenser and the liquid is almost certainly water, the next thing to rule out is the ice dispenser. Ice dispensers sometimes get ice stuck in the little trap door that opens to dispense the ice. After a short while, it will melt enough to slip out of the trap and then melt on the floor. This doesn’t happen infrequently, so you should be used to it unless you’re new to having a dispenser fridge. Check if there are ice chunks sitting in the puddle, or if the puddle comes out from under the appliance. If the water seems to be coming from beneath the fridge, you’ll need to call a fridge repairman or consider replacement if the issue continues.

Dishwasher

If neither the fridge nor sink seem to be the obvious source of the water, it’s most likely from the dishwasher. Dishwashers leak water more often than either of the other appliances by nature of how much water runs through it regularly. If your dishwasher seems to be the culprit, check out this guide on figuring out the cause of the leak.

Hire a Professional

If you need help fixing a water line, drain, sink, or other piece of plumbing, we’re here to help. No one should be without help when dealing with a kitchen water leak. Give us a call if you have questions about our services and procedures. We look forward to working with you.