3 Noises Your Water Heater Makes and What They Mean
Water heaters are the most overworked mechanical equipment in any household as they constantly provide heated water to all your plumbing fixtures on demand. Without one, you’ll be stuck manually heating water to maintain your home’s comfort when showering, bathing, or even washing the dishes.
Despite the integral role a water heater plays for homeowners, it’s easy to neglect its needs and forget to give this workhorse the tender love and care it deserves. Once the water heater starts to show its weariness, it’ll start to make noises to get your attention.
However, different sounds have their own meaning, and ensuring what you hear doesn’t get lost in translation is crucial if you want to avoid a catastrophic and costly plumbing crisis. If you ever notice your water heater producing odd sounds, the list below should clue you in on what they could possibly mean for you:
1. Popping or Rumbling Sounds
When you notice something “popping” inside your water heater, then it likely means there is too much limescale build-up at the bottom of the tank. This is made from hardened mineral deposits and sediment gathered at the bottom, resulting in excess gunk that traps steam bubbles underneath.
Once the bubbles burst, you’ll hear popping sounds. It may seem harmless at first, but keep in mind that letting the minerals turn into limescale can eventually take a toll on your water heater. Once the popping noises transform into loud rumbles, then it means the sediment build-up is at its limit.
2. Sizzling or Crackling Sounds
A water heater should only produce humming sounds, but once something starts to sizzle, then it may indicate another problem related to sediment build-up. This can clog the drain valve or trap the lower heating element underneath all the mineral residue, causing your unit to be unable to produce heated water.
3. Screeching Sounds
Nothing sounds scarier than a screech, and the ear-splitting noise deserves as much alarm when it’s coming from your water heater since it’s trying to say that it’s suffering from a water flow restriction. Many factors can clog the valve, but no matter the root, blocked valves can prevent water from flowing to your pipes properly.
The Bottom Line: Decoding What Your Water Heater Is Saying by Listening to Its Noises
Your water heater may make noises to try and tell you it’s struggling, but there are specific sounds that may clue you in on the root of the problem. Keep your eyes open and tune in to your water heater’s needs – it may be asking you to call professional plumbers before the problem worsens.
Do You Need Emergency Plumbing Services in Mendocino County, California?
If you need help fixing plumbing emergencies, it’s best to keep calm and put licensed, bonded, and insured plumbers on speed dial! Benjamin Franklin Plumbing has some of the best emergency plumbing services covering all of Lake & Mendocino Counties, so get in touch with us today at (707)-263-1629 to see how we can flush your problems down the drain round-the-clock!
