Can a Leaking Water Heater Cause a High Water Bill
A leaking water heater can cause a high bill. There are several leaks that can happen with water heaters. The most common one is at the upper pipe where the hot and cold water hoses attach to it. Another is the drain valve on the bottom which you have to open up every so often to drain out any sediment build-up of mineral deposits. Once in a great while, especially if you have hard well water, there may be an issue with corrosion on some of the parts inside of it where they join together.
How Can I Tell If My Water Heater Is Leaking?
If your water heater is more than 10 years old or if it has not been flushed out periodically then you might want to consider having your plumber pull it out and take a look inside. If the water heater is leaking from any of its valves, joints, or at the top where it connects to the water supply then have them replaced by a plumber. The cost to have this done should not be more than $100 so if you feel that you can do it yourself then consider going ahead and doing it.
How To Fix A Leaking Water Heater?
If there are no leaks but your bill is very high then that may mean that sediment has built up over time in your tank and needs to be flushed out periodically. You can go online to Youtube where you will find several videos showing how to drain your hot water heater as well as flush it with a hose before re-filling it with water.
I recently moved to a house in Lexington, MA and my water bill was very high every month. I don't have the exact figures because my mother-in-law got it for me but it was well over $100 per month which is very unusual. Once she told me about the leaking hot water heater I immediately called up our local plumber who came out that day. They had to drain all of the water from the tank into buckets since they could not get any lower than 10 gallons left in there. The plumber replaced some of the parts on it for us and advised us to flush out the heater once a year or so depending on how hard your water is etc. He also did some other work on the piping etc. I am happy to say that our water bill has not gone up since then.
My mother-in-law told me the one time she had her hot water heater replaced was because it kept leaking out all of the cold water when someone wanted to take a shower etc. When they took it apart he discovered that there was no O ring on the pipe where they connect to the tank and this is what caused it to leak constantly. He replaced both at once and he said that they should last for another 10 years or so.
What Should I Do If My Water Heater Is Leaking?
If your hot water heater is leaking then you need to get professional help ASAP if you want to avoid any major damage. If your house is older then there may be some damage to your ceilings or walls in the area of your hot water heater if it is leaking out. Call around and get quotes from plumbers in your area who will come out and give you an estimate on repair including parts, trip charges, etc. If you can do this yourself then why not save yourself $100 - $200 dollars by doing so?
If you live in or near Lexington MA then please click here for a quick, easy, and FREE no-obligation quote from one of our recommended Water Heater Repair specialists.
No comments