Water Heater Repair Longview TX: What Makes Your Gas Water Heater Tick?

Posted by Longview TX Plumber on Jun 21, 2014 in Plumber Longview TX, Water Heater Installer Longview TX | 0 comments Ever wonder how your gas water heater works so efficiently to deliver hot water to your whole house?  Probably not.  Like most major appliances in your home, you just cross your fingers and hope it keeps working the way it’s supposed to for a very long time.  But when something does go wrong and you call us at Bird Dog Plumbing water heater repair Longview TX, it’s always good to know at least the basic parts of your unit and how they function so that you can understand why you need the repairs we recommend. — How it works.   A gas water heater uses convection to heat your water.  Cold water goes into the tank and is heated by burners located at the bottom of the tank.  The hot water then rises to the top of the tank where it is siphoned off and transported throughout your home.  As the hot water is siphoned off, more cold water is pumped into the tank and the heating process continues. — The water supply.    No matter where your home’s water comes from, the same supply lines that carry it to the rest of your home carry it to your water heater.  A special valve controls the water supply and allows you to turn the water off if necessary. — The water tank.   The water tank consists of a steel outer jacket and a steel inner tank.  The inside of the tank is coated with ceramic to withstand the corrosive effects of hot water.  Insulation is placed between the outer jacket and the inner tank to protect the homeowner to keep heat in the tank.  On the inside of the inner tank is an anode rod that is sometimes called the sacrificial anode because it is made of a special metal that attracts corrosives to itself to prevent them from attaching to the tank. — The gas burner.   The gas burner is situated at the bottom of the tank and is fed by a gas supply line.  The burner is activated by turning on the pilot light, which ignites the gas and allows it to start heating the cold water.  The gas is controlled by a module that controls not only the temperature of the water but the pilot light as well. — The exhaust flue.   This might be the most important part of your gas water heater...
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Water Heater Repair Longview TX: Should You Repair Or Replace Your Water Heater?

Posted by Longview TX Plumber on Jun 21, 2014 in Plumber Longview TX, Water Heater Installer Longview TX | 0 comments Your water heater is one of the appliances in your home that works beautifully for years and years – until it doesn’t and you’re left trying to figure out how to take a cold shower without actually getting wet.  Water heaters, gas or electric, are fairly simple appliances with a limited number of things that can go wrong with them.  In fact, when you call us at Bird Dog Plumbing water heater repair Longview TX, we can diagnose and fix your problem quickly.  But when should you have your water heater repaired and when should you have it replaced? Repair your water heater if it is fairly new and normally works well.  Problems with water heaters that are less than ten years old can include broken thermostats, malfunctioning heating elements, valves that stick and pilot light or circuit breaker problems.  All of these are all fixable and should cost you less than a new water heater. Replace your water heater if your tank is corroded or cracked and is leaking water.  A leaking tank is not something that water heater repair Longview TX can fix.   Although corrosion normally happens to older water heaters and is the result of minerals in the water, there are a number of reasons newer water heaters can crack or leak. Repair your water heater if it is still under warranty and the repair cost will be covered. Replace your water heater if it is more than ten years old.  After ten years of service, the heater is only functioning at 50% efficiency plus spending money on repairing an old unit is not cost effective.  You will be putting money into a unit that probably has very little life left in it.  In addition, finding parts for an older unit will get harder every year. Repair your water heater if you simply like how it works and don’t want to change it.  This is an acceptable option If you are willing to pay for the repairs. Replace your water heater if you want a new, more energy-efficient water heater or one with a larger tank.  You don’t even have to wait until your heater breaks down to replace it with a newer unit. When your water heater stops heating your water, call us at Bird Dog Plumbing water heater repair Longview TX at 903-225-2272 (NO EXTRA CHARGE ON SATURDAYS).  We can diagnose and repair your...
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Water Heater Repair Longview TX: Troubleshooting Your Electric Water Heater

Posted by Longview TX Plumber on Jun 10, 2014 in Plumber Longview TX, Water Heater Installer Longview TX | 0 comments Nothing is more frustrating than turning on the water for a hot shower and finding out that there is no hot water.  The water heater is one of the appliances that you take for granted until it stops working.   The reason you can take it for granted is that most electric water heaters are built well and last many years.  But even the most well-built water heater can break down in many ways.  Before you call water heater repair Longview TX, check out these common electric water heater problems: No hot water.  The most obvious solution to this problem is to check your circuit breakers to see if one is tripped.  After the circuit breakers, the next thing to check is the reset button on the water heater limit switch.  The limit switch will shut your water heater off if something malfunctions.  A faulty thermostat or heating elements can cause your water heater to stop working as well. Not enough hot water.  The thermostat on your water heater could be the culprit when there isn’t enough hot water.  Loose wiring somewhere in the unit or heating elements that aren’t working correctly are also possibilities.  If you have an older water heater, your plastic dip tube could be disintegrating.  The dip tube carries cold water to the bottom of the tank. Water takes too long to reheat.  A thermostat adjustment may be needed to solve this problem.  The lower heating element could be bad or there could be sediment in the bottom of the tank.  A technician from  water heater repair Longview TX can test your heating elements and drain your water heater to remove the sediment. Water gets too hot.  This is probably caused by a thermostat that is either not working properly or that needs to be adjusted to a lower temperature. Rust-colored water.  Water from your tap could be rust-colored or even black.  Scale build-up on the heating elements is one possibility for this.  The other is a disintegrating anode rod – the anode rod keeps your heater tank from rusting. Water smells bad.  If a contamination in your city’s water supply is not the problem, you probably have a build-up of bacteria in your water heater.  Flushing the tank or replacing the anode rod may help. Leaking tank or pressure relief valve.  If water is leaking from the pressure relief valve, that indicates a faulty valve...
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Plumber Longview TX: What’s Wrong with your Hot Water Heater?

Posted by Longview TX Plumber on May 12, 2014 in Commercial Plumbing Longview TX, Water Heater Installer Longview TX | 0 comments The hot water heater is an essential part of your home plumbing system. If you suspect that something is wrong with it, you might want to contact a plumber Longview TX to look at it. You never know if the problem you have is a common and easily fixed problem or one of the more rare and severe problems, without the help of an expert. Here are a few of the most common problems with a hot water heater, and what you can do if yours starts to show signs of having one of them: 1. No hot water or not enough The primary job of your hot water heater is to ensure you have constant access to water in the temperature you need. From cooking to bathing, hot water is a valued commodity in the modern home. When your’s fails to produce any hot water, or consistently fails to provide it in adequate quantities, it could be the sign of a bad pilot light or thermostat. If your heater is not providing adequate heat, you might want to call a plumber Longview TX to check for one of the common causes. 2. Leaking While the occasional drip can be dismissed as being due to condensation, if you find large puddles consistently around the base of your heater or the pipes, you might want to be concerned. Leaks can happen for a number of reasons and in a number of places. If you cannot spy any obvious sources of the leak, you might want to contact a plumber Longview TX to look at your heater to spot it. Leaks can be dangerous, causing everything from mold to a flood. If you suspect that your heater is leaking, don’t hesitate to contact a professional. 3. Water has odd color or smell This problem is so common it has practically become shorthand comedy to indicate an old or primitive plumbing system. However it can happen in even the most modern homes. Bacteria in your tank can sometimes cause a foul odor, and the color of the water can change when rust contaminates it. If your water changes in such a way, it might need to be flushed out. Do not ignore possible problems with your hot water heater. If you suspect that your heater has succumbed to one of the problems outlined above, or it is in anyway not performing as...
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