As the name indicates, water heaters are designed to help increase water temperature.
Almost all homes in America have a water heating system installed. Without it, a lot of people will find it hard to take their bath amongst other things.
Just like most electrical devices, a water heater generally gives a warning when it reaches a breaking point. These warnings usually come in varieties of sounds, depending on where the problem originates.
Some of these sounds have been listed below:
Popping Sounds
The popping sound is one of the sounds common with water heaters. It often means mineral deposits and sediment are stuck in your water heater. This is something that often happens in areas with hard water because the elements responsible for this are highly contained in them. Fortunately, hearing a popping sound from your water heater is not the end of the device. To fix this problem, the best thing to do is to have your water heater flushed out to remove any mineral component or sediment that could be trapped in it. And of course, there’s no better person to employ for that service than a certified plumber.
To stop this problem from resurfacing, make sure you install a water softener. If you have one already installed and your heater still makes the popping sounds, then you should have a plumber check the water softener too.
For those asking yourself the question; “do I need a water softener“, well, this is enough reason to get one!
Another thing to do when faced with a popping sound is to soak your heater in vinegar. Although Vinegar is a common kitchen item, you must not underestimate its ability to rid your heater of sediments.
To do this, pour at least a gallon of the liquid in your water heaters’ tank. Before doing this, you need to make sure the drain valves are closed so the liquid can stay in the tank and pipes. The soaking process should last about six hours. Once the time is up, you should drain the vinegar through the drainage outlet.
Sizzling Sounds
A sizzling sound is heard when leaking water drips onto the burner working with your water heater. If your water heater becomes unable to produce hot water like it used to, and you see water on the floor around, it’s most likely coming from a leak and needs to be attended to on time. Though fixing a leaking water heater isn’t easy, it still needs to be done to prevent further damages. When a water heater is leaking, it does not only waste water. It’s also responsible for the wastage of energy. To avoid energy and water wastage, you should have the heater examined and fixed as soon as possible.
Screeching Sounds
This is also one of the sounds associated with faulty water heaters, and most times, it indicates water flow restrictions. The main culprit here is a partially closed inlet control valve. Since the valve is partially closed, water will find it difficult to flow through pipes in an accurate manner. This abnormality can however be easily corrected. One of the first things to do is to examine the inlet valve and see if it is widely opened. If it’s halfway open, you can easily turn it to make it wide open. When you do that and the screeching sound stops, you can continue enjoying your water heater. If it doesn’t stop, you might need to hire an expert to come to take a look at it.
Crackling Sounds
Crackling sounds may occur when you use a water heater powered by gas and there’s condensation on the burner. This sound can be very annoying and might make you start to worry. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do when faced with this issue is to wait. The sound generally disappears on its own.
Now that you know the sound associated with each water heater problem and the solutions to some of them. Caring for your water heater becomes easy. If the sound persists after trying any of the solutions provided above, then it is time to reach out to a water eater expert. If you wait too long, the water heater might break down.