Water Heater Disasters and How To Avoid Them

Is your water heater an out-of-sight, out-of-mind affair? This common oversight can be dangerous. As one of your home's most frequently used appliances, neglecting its maintenance can lead to severe issues like floods, which pose significant risks to your property. Beyond flooding, overlooked water heaters can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or even explosions.

To keep your home safe and efficiently heated, it's crucial to recognize the signs of water heater distress and understand the preventive measures you can take. If it's too late for prevention, knowing when to replace your water heater is equally important.

In the upcoming sections, we'll discuss:

Are you wondering if a flood can ruin a water heater? If the flood is unrelated to your water heater, the water damage may or may not impact it. However, if the flood originates from your water heater, you almost certainly have a broken appliance on your hands.

Usually, when tank water heaters die, they go out with a flood. The tank rusts through, and approximately 60+ gallons of water floods your home.

When it comes to flooding, the most likely cause is a corroded anode rod. This rod's purpose is to rust so your tank doesn't. However, once the anode rod itself rusts away, your tank is left unprotected. Given enough time, it’s going to burst.

To prevent this, change the anode rod when it's almost deteriorated. Generally, an anode rod should last as long as the manufacturer's warranty. So if you have a water heater with a 6-year warranty, replace the rod in the fifth year. However, if you use a water softener, you'll need to change the rod more often, usually every 1-2 years.

Can a malfunctioning water heater cause carbon monoxide (CO) buildup in your home? Absolutely. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, many homes use gas-powered water heaters, which, if faulty, can lead to dangerous leaks of carbon monoxide. This colorless, odorless gas is extremely hazardous and can be fatal if inhaled in large quantities.

The most common cause of a carbon monoxide leak from water heaters is improper venting. Under normal conditions, carbon monoxide produced by the gas heater is safely expelled outside your home. However, a malfunction in the venting system can cause this deadly gas to be released indoors instead.

There are several things you should do to prevent this:

• Make sure your home has a CO detector.
• Ensure no obstructions are in the vent (such as a bird's nest).
• Hire a licensed plumber to check out your water heater annually to make sure it's venting correctly.

Water heaters can explode if not maintained. The most likely cause is a failed temperature and pressure (T&P) valve. When water is heated, it expands, creating pressure, which can cause the tank to burst.

However, a water heater tank has several safeguards built in to prevent this. For example, the thermostat keeps the temperature from rising above a certain point, and the T&P valve lets water out of the tank if the pressure gets too high.

But these things can fail, especially when the tank is not regularly maintained.

How to prevent this: "Exercise" your T&P valve every six months. This just means opening it for a bit and making sure it turns off.

To avoid any of the above water heater disasters, schedule regular maintenance and flush the tank annually to avoid sediment buildup. Too much sediment can cause your water heater to stop operating effectively, leaving it vulnerable to additional problems.

You could flush your water tank on your own, but to be honest, it's quite labor-intensive. The better route is to let a professional plumber do it instead. Our plumbers always perform a tank flush during an annual water heater maintenance visit.

Waiting for a complete breakdown or a catastrophic failure is not the best strategy when it comes to your water heater. Being proactive by recognizing the early warning signs of a failing water heater can save you from unexpected disruptions and potential disasters. Here are key indicators that it's time to consider replacing your water heater before it fails.

Some warning signs that your water heater is coming to the end of its lifespan include:

• It's 10 to 15 years old
• It needs repairs frequently
• It delivers rust-colored hot water
• It has sprung a leak