Water Heaters Masters Inc.

In most cases, 10-15 years is the standard life of a water heater, however there are a lot of factors that influence how long the water heater actually lasts. Some examples are the quality of the water heater, the quality of the water and the hardness of the water, as well as usage. The length of showers, number of persons and appliances, and loads of laundry are a few examples that affect usage. For example, the same exact water heater installed in Brentwood may last 8 -10 years, when compared to that same water heater installed in Walnut Creek may last 12 15 years. The hardness of the water in Brentwood is a primary difference between these two areas. Quite often, water softeners are installed to help extend the life of the water heater and other water appliances.

Retail warranties are typically prorated, which means every year you get closer to the end of the warranty you get less money back towards a replacement tank if the tank fails while under warranty. Contractor grade warranties are not prorated, and apply to contractor grade higher quality water heaters. A standard warranty is 6 years that can be upgraded for an additional cost to a 10year warranty. Tankless water heaters typically come with a 12-15 year warranty on the heat exchanger and 5 years on the parts. All commercial installations and commercial tanks have a standard 3 year warranty. This applies to any type of tank used in a commercial application. The manufacturer will not honor any warranty beyond 3 years for a commercial application. The labor warranty in our industry is typically 1 year for California.

A loud rumbling or pinging and popping sound occurs when the tank burner comes on, and is typically caused by mineral deposits built up in the tank. You hear them moving around the tank when the water heats up. While this can occur anywhere, it is a common issue in areas with hard water. Water softeners are often recommended in these locations for this reason. A loud ping, like a high-pitched chime, when the burner comes on. This sound is typically when the baffle heats up and expands, resulting in metal touching metal. Typically, this can be remedied by having a professional make an adjustment to the baffle. A loud jet-engine sound or heavy vibration that sounds like a jet engine when the burner comes on. This sound is usually being produced by a leak that has filled up the bottom portion of the tank where the air is vibrating between the water and the air against the air intake vent. It could be a very small leak, where the water is confined to the inside bottom portion of the chamber. In some cases you may not see water around the water heater. Water Hammer or a thud sound echoing in the water heater when water is being turned off quickly, such as with irrigation or a washing machine. The sound is not caused by the water heater, it is only being echoed and amplified within the water heater as the vibration goes through the plumbing. An explosion sound occurs shortly after ignition. This is usually due to a broken or torn burner screen, or the pilot light is too far away from the burner. Too much gas builds up in the combustion chamber and ignites, which causes a delayed ignition explosion. Although the newer tanks are a sealed chamber, and most likely nothing will happen, you should shut the tank down immediately if you hear this sound and call a professional and/or PGE to take a look.

Hot and cold water connections, and drain valves can be repaired. Pressure relief (P&T) valves can also be repaired or replaced. A water heater is not repairable when the tank is very old and in very poor condition or when the tank itself is fractured. A fractured water heater tank will have water at the bottom of the tank with no evidence of leaks at any of the valves or connections.