A Water Heater Problem Can Be Serious
For most home and business owners in the Columbus area, a water heater is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Few people on the lookout for a home or business property, for example, would buy a building with no hot water. From cooking to cleaning clothes to bathing, hot water is now an essential part of daily life and work activity.
However, the convenience of having hot water on a property does mean a responsibility to maintain that equipment. Water heaters make things incredibly convenient, but with enough neglect, they can fail to function, which is irritating. In the worst-case scenario, they can threaten the lives of residents or staff on a property.
A Bomb Waiting To Happen
For properties that use a traditional water heating system of a tank with a heating mechanism, this simple but effective system carries risk. In the same way that an automobile can catch fire and even explode under certain conditions, the same is true of a water heater that is not adequately cared for and has all safety precautions ignored.
If a water heater does explode, this can just as—or more—destructive than a car explosion. A water heater may effectively become a rocket. It’s only capable of exploding but having enough “thrust” to break through floors, ceilings, and even the roof of a building to cause catastrophic damage to a structure.
Why It Happens
There are a few different causes for a water heater to explode, but the one thing they all have in common is blocking the flow of water and creating a build-up of pressure within the heating tank itself. The most common causes of a pressure build-up include:
Sediment
Depending on the source, water pumped in even through municipal systems is not 100% free of particles. Minute amounts of sediment can come in with the water, and while this poses no health threat for those drinking the water or using it in cooking, it can build up. The sediment build-up can block the flow in a heating tank with enough time, leading to pressure build-up.
Faulty Parts
An anode rod is a steel core wire combined with aluminum, magnesium, or other metals, depending on the installation choices. It’s designed to protect the tank from rust or corrosion in the heating element, but it dissolves as it does this. An anode rod that is not replaced can cause a breakdown in a water heater that leads to malfunction.
Gas
Finally, some water heaters use natural gas as fuel. If anything occurs with the gas line, this is another way the heater and tank may explode.
What To Do
Fortunately, water heaters will give you plenty of warning before they do explode. If you see rust-colored water, or the water is not as hot as it used to be, don’t take chances. Get professionals to come in to inspect your unit and repair you water heater, if needed.
Contact us today, and let us handle your emergency plumbing issues.