Water Heater Repair & Install
At Bay Area Plumbing, Inc. we offer water heater repairs and water heater installation in addition to many of the other Tampa Plumbing Services that we offer. Whether it is a repair or an install we cover a wide range of water heaters including traditional tank water heaters and the more modern tankless water heaters which have become popular products in today’s market because they conserve energy. Whatever type of hot water system needs you have, whether it is to repair your existing system or replace it with a new one, we are here for you and can come out to your home or business and give you some sound advice to help you with all your hot water needs. Call us today at (813) 837-8666 or (813) 620-0044 to learn more about our water heater repair and installation services.
Maintaining Your Water Heater
Whichever type of water heater you have or are planning to purchase, it is important to know how and why to maintain it properly. When it comes to tank water heaters, as a rule of thumb ten years is the estimated time frame in which you should either replace or rebuild it. If the water heater is ten years old or older, it is recommended to at least replace the tank due to the age of the unit. The reason for this is because the tank can get full of rust, scale and calcium deposits that can have an affect on the operation and performance of the bottom element and as a result of this the tank can develop a leak at any time. Proper maintenance is important in order to prevent this build up and a good procedure is to flush the water heater out on an annual basis. Unfortunately most people do not do this and as a result, they risk running into costly repairs in the future or having to replace their water heater prematurely.
Tankless water heaters on the other hand just as their name implies, do not have a tank and therefore tend to have a longer life span which can be 2 to 3 times that of a traditional tank water heater. This, however, does not mean that they do not require any maintenance. In fact, most people may not realize that they should also be flushed on a regular basis due to mineral deposits that can build up within the system, especially because hard water is prevalent in the Tampa area as well as throughout Florida. Depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations it may be necessary to flush a tankless system every 6 months to 2 years. If you are unsure of the proper schedule for your unit you can either check with the manufacturer or give us a call and we can assist you.
Whether you have a tank or tankless water heater, if you are unsure on how to perform any of the procedures mentioned above, feel free to give us a call and we would be happy to assist you. We can even flush your system for you if this is something that you do not feel comfortable doing yourself or you simply do not want to be bothered with the task.
Repairing Your Water Heater
If you are experiencing problems with your current water heater it does not necessarily mean that you need to replace it. There are a number of scenarios that can occur and cause issues, some of these we will discuss here in order to give you a better understanding and hopefully help you save some money in the process.
Electrical surges and storms can sometimes cause problems with the electrical system on your water heater. There is a red button located on the thermostat that can trip in an effort to protect the water heater from damage. This button can be reset by just pushing the button. If the electrical system of your water heater does become damaged, we can rebuild it in most cases. When we rebuild an electrical water heater we replace both thermostats and both elements so that all the electrical components are new.
The thermostat may build up deposits from calcium and scale and can eventually break and if this occurs you need to replace the element. In order to help prevent this, we recommend adding a water softener for the whole house to remove the calcium in the water.
Water is very corrosive and the molecules can attack the glass-lined cast iron storage tank of a water heater. Tank water heaters have what we call an anode rod that goes through the center of the tank. The anode rod is like bait or a guinea pig for the water molecules to attack instead of the cast iron tank, thus extending the life of the water heater. There are different types of anode rods including magnesium, aluminum, and aluminum/zinc. Magnesium anode rods use to be the most common, but they seem to have a reaction to Florida water and water softeners with a rotten egg smell water reaction. The best cure for this is to remove that anode rod and replace it with an aluminum or aluminum/zinc anode rod.
For gas water heaters, one of the most common problems that develop is the thermal coupling goes bad and you have a hard time trying to light the water heater. If this occurs it may be able to be rectified, please give us a call and we can assist you.
Replacing Your Water Heater
When it comes time to replace your water heater there are many types, brands and sizes to choose from and you want to make sure that you purchase the correct water heater for your home or business. At Bay Area Plumbing we carry both tank and tankless water heater systems and we can also install them for you. Most tank-type electrical water heaters have a 6 year warranty on the cast iron glass lined tank and the electrical components are warranted for the first year. When you buy any water heater from Bay Area Plumbing, you get an all exclusive 2-year warranty that includes all parts and labor, plus we back up the full warranty from the manufacturer.
For the typical electric or gas tank type water heater, we carry AO Smith Water Heaters, State Water Heaters, and Rheem Water Heating Products. When shopping for a new water heater an important thing to note is that gas water heaters have a better heat recovery time than electrical water heaters. Knowing this and allowing it to factor into your purchasing decision, can help save you money in the long run on energy bills. It is also important to note that if your water heater is located inside the home at the living space elevation, it is required by code to have a pan and drain underneath the water heater in case it develops a leak in order to prevent water damage to your home. Outside or in a garage where there is a 4” drop from the main floor height, it is not required.
In addition, we also specialize in tankless water heaters including brands such as Eternal Hybrid Water Heater, Noritz Tankless Hot Water Heaters, Rinnai Tankless Water Heater, Eemax Electric Tankless Water Heaters and Rheem Tankless Water Heaters. If you plan to go tankless, you can save space and also save money due to the fact that you don’t have to continue to heat a tank full of water for storage and therefore no energy is being used when nothing is turned on. The gas tankless water heaters work better than the electrical and are more powerful. The average electrical tankless water produces 3 to 4 gallons per minute (GPM) of hot water. The average gas tankless water heater produces 8 gallons per minute (GPM) at a 35-degree rise. The “35-degree rise” means whatever the temperature of the cold water entering into the water heater, add 35 degrees and that is the maximum temperature that water heater will produce. One advantage of gas tankless water heaters is that they can be installed outside on the side of the home with no vent through the roof and most units have a remote control and diagnostic keyboard that can be placed inside the home.
Size Matters
When purchasing a new water heater it is very important that you choose the correct size for your home or business in order to heat the water properly. There are formulas for figuring out what size water heater you need. For standard tank water heaters, one bath homes would require a 30-gallon water heater, two bath homes would require a 40-gallon water heater, and a three bath home would require a 50-gallon water heater. For tankless water heaters, you go by the gallons per minute flow rate of each hot water fixture turned on at the same time. Other factors for sizing may include how many people live in the home and if you have multiple showers running at the same time.