Category: Water Heaters

Should I Turn up the Water Heater Temperature?

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Although you rely on your water heater throughout the year, probably every day, it does more work for you during the winter. On a chilly morning, a hot shower feels better than ever—and it can also be a wonderful relief to soak in a hot bath at the end of the day.

So what do you do if the water heater isn’t as warm as it should be? The simple answer would seem to be an adjustment to the thermostat for the water heater (which is called an aquastat). The default temperature for most water heaters is 140°F, although homeowners often lower it to 125°F or 120°F to help conserve energy. If you’ve lowered the temperature during the rest of the year and wouldn’t mind having it back up to the default, then it’s fine to put it back to 140°F.

However, if the reason you’re thinking of raising the aquastat is that the water heater’s performance has dropped, you’re putting yourself at risk of scalding hot temperatures!

Don’t go above 140°F!

Whatever you do, don’t raise the aquastat’s temperature higher than the default setting of 140°F. Above this temperature, the water can rise to potentially scalding levels. An aquastat isn’t as precise with temperature control as an HVAC thermostat. Due to a situation called thermal stacking, the water at the top of the water heater’s tank can rise to extremely high levels and enter the plumbing. Putting the aquastat higher than 140°F makes scalding a serious risk.

Losing hot water is a reason to call for repairs

Even if you don’t turn the aquastat above 140°F, please don’t try to compensate for a faltering water heater by raising the temperature setting. You’re not only creating a scalding risk, but you’re also putting a possibly malfunctioning water heater under greater stress. The system needs licensed plumbers to look into it to discover if it either needs to be repaired or replaced.

To arrange for service for your water heater in Gaithersburg, PA, from repairs to a full replacement, contact our heating and plumbing professionals.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice!

A Tankless Water Heater Also Needs Occasional Repairs

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The tankless water heater is a fantastic invention. Although the first tankless systems for heating water were invented more than a hundred years ago, the innovations that allowed them to become cost-effective for homes is a recent development. But those innovations have made a tremendous difference. A tankless water heater uses much less energy than a standard storage tank water heater, it won’t run out of hot water, takes up less space, has a longer service life, and runs into few repairs.

Of course, a tankless water heater isn’t magic. Even with the best regular maintenance service for one, it can still run into malfunctions and even a full system breakdown. Let’s take a look at ways a tankless system might run into troubles requiring the help of professionals to fix.

Leaking and corrosion

Anytime you have water, you have the potential for leaks. A tankless water heater is at less risk than a storage tank system because water moves rapidly through the heat exchanger of a tankless system and doesn’t create the same type of pressure. But the pipes in a tankless system can develop leaks, and when that happens, water is likely to drip down on the gas jets in the heat exchanger—and this creates corrosion danger. Corrosion is extremely damaging to the heat exchanger, and it may cause the computer system in the water heater to shut the system off. If you see any water dripping from the tankless unit, call for repairs before corrosion becomes a major issue.

Hard water problems

Hard water in household plumbing can create big trouble for a tankless system. The minerals in hard water will create limescale inside the heat exchanger, starting to close off the passage of water through it. This will cause a loss of efficiency and may even inflict permanent damage to the water heater. If you detect a drop in water pressure from the hot water taps in your home, mineral build-up might be the problem. Repairs will descale the water heater, but we recommend you look into attacking the root of the problem by installing a water softener. (This is also a service we provide.)

Poor ventilation

For gas-powered tankless water heaters—the most common kind—venting out exhaust gases is just as important as with any other natural gas appliance. The hot exhaust must escape fast from the small tankless system, and this can be difficult if the ventilation tubes are too long or twisted. What will happen in this case is the computer system of the water heater will trigger a shutdown as a safety precaution. If your water heater stops like this, you’ll need to have technicians look into the venting to discover what needs to be fixed.

When it comes to water heaters in Bethesda, MD and throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the people to contact for service are the ones on our staff. We provide full repairs and replacements for tankless and standard storage tank water heaters.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating Is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD, and the Surrounding Areas.

Tankless Water Heaters Will Need Occasional Repairs

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A tankless water heater is an excellent option for modern homes: they can keep up with the demand of the majority of households (provided they’re sized correctly), cut down on energy bills, and won’t run out of hot water the way standard storage tank water heaters do. We are proud to offer top quality installations of tankless water heaters in Bethesda, MD and throughout our wide service area.

A special advantage of tankless water heaters is that they require fewer repairs over their lifetime on average than storage tank water heaters. That doesn’t mean no repairs, however! Any type of water heater can encounter problems that require the assistance of professionals to fix. We’ll take a look at some potential water heater malfunctions below.

The trouble with the burners

The most popular type of tankless water heater is a natural gas-powered model. There are electric models, but they cost much more to run. A gas-powered tankless system has to use burners just like a tank system. The difference is the burners apply heat to water moving through the tankless system, rather than to a standing water supply, and the burners only come on when there’s a demand for water. The burners can become dirty and clogged, which will cause them to have trouble firing, and you’ll notice this by a drop in hot water temperature in the house.

Corrosion

Corrosion is an enemy of all systems that have metal and water in contact. A tankless water heater is less likely to corrode than a storage tank system, but if the pipes start to leak, corrosion can start up. If the corrosion develops too far, the whole system may need to be replaced. This is why it’s crucial to act on any leaks you might notice with the water heater.

Hard water problems

The water from a tankless water heater moves through small holes, and this can cause problems if there’s a build-up. It will lead to a drop in water pressure, followed by no hot water at all. The prime concern is hard water minerals building up in the system. You’ll need to have the water heater cleaned out, but we also strongly recommend installing a water softener to eliminate the problem at the source.

Poor venting

Gas-powered water heaters must vent out combustion fumes safely from the system. If a water heater has poor ventilation, acid condensation will start to develop inside the heat exchanger and quickly ruin it. Poor venting is also a potential safety risk. However, this problem is unlikely to occur… as long as the water heater was professionally installed to have the right sized venting.

Failed heating element

This applies to electric tankless water heaters. If the heating element burns out, there’s no heat to apply to the water. You can find online guides about how to fix this on your own, but we strongly advise against it! Call professionals to ensure the work is done accurately.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD and throughout Montgomery County.

How to Know You Need a New Commercial Water Heater

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There are few commercial buildings that can get along without a water heating system, even if just for their bathrooms. For many enterprises, the water heater is an essential component, such as in restaurants and throughout the hospitality industry. Commercial water heaters must be reliable, powerful, and have the water volume necessary to handle the needs of the building.

Eventually, all the strain placed on a commercial water heater will wear it down past the point where standard repairs and regular maintenance can do anything to reverse the deterioration. At that point, you’ll need the water heater (or one of the water heaters if your building relies on multiple ones) replaced.

Knowing When It’s Time for a New Commercial Water Heater

You don’t want to replace a water heater before its time since that’s a waste of money. Pay close attention to indications one of the water heaters is beginning to fail, and then call on our plumbers for an opinion. They’ll examine the system and give you honest advice about the best step to take: repairs or a replacement.

These are major warning signs you may have a dying water heater:

  • A drop in hot water volume – Are parts of your business running out of hot water too early? If the water heater was professionally installed, you shouldn’t encounter insufficient amounts of hot water to meet your needs; this is something professional installers are extremely careful about. So when it seems your business can’t get enough hot water, it points toward a dying water heater.
  • Humid conditions in the water heater room – If you walk into the room where the water heater is stored (we recommend doing an occasional check like this) and notice it feels humid when it shouldn’t be, it’s often warning that the water heater has leaks somewhere. Make a visual check if there’s water around the tank unit and if there is you need to call for professionals right away. If the water heater is leaking because of corrosion, it’s best to replace it.
  • Discoloration in the water – Have you heard reports from people in the building of reddish discoloration when the hot water comes on? This indicates corrosion starting up in the tank or a build-up of sediment. Sediment can be flushed out, but a corroded tank usually means the water heater is finished.
  • Rumbling sounds – When making those checks, pay attention to the noise the water heater makes. It shouldn’t make much noise at all, so when you hear something like a rumbling noise coming from it, this often indicates problems like limescale inside the tank. Often the tank will need to be replaced.
  • Basic age – Check the warranty on the water heater, which will give you an idea of how long it should last. If the water heater is over its manufacturer’s service life estimate, it’s time to start looking for a replacement before the system turns inefficient and develops a high risk of a breakdown.

We provide commercial plumbing for Bethesda, MD throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. We have built our company on the principles of honesty and integrity, and you can count on us to provide the best advice for your company’s continued success.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice for your commercial and residential plumbing needs.

Can a Tankless Water Heater Keep up with My Household?

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We love tankless water heaters! We think they are a great option for homes looking to replace an aging storage tank water heater with something that will help cut down on their heating bills, save space, and provide an unlimited supply of hot water. When you consider that the water heater accounts for the largest portion of heating power in your home, going with a system that significantly cuts down on energy consumption can mean a large reduction in monthly utility bills. A tankless water heater installation may cost more than a storage tank water heater, but it will pay for itself in a few years.

However, tankless isn’t a perfect choice for every household. Although tankless water heaters technically cannot run out of hot water since they are designed to always heat up more water on demand, they can be overwhelmed with demand when there are multiple taps or appliances on at once. If your household has multiple showers on during the morning, or different hot water-using appliances are running at once during the day, you may encounter a tankless water heater that begins to lose efficiency.

Professional sizing for tankless water heaters

Tank water heaters are rated by storage capacity. Tankless water heaters are rated by maximum temperature rise possible at a given flow rate. To find a water heater matched to your house requires knowing the flow rate and temperature rise necessary to provide hot water to your household without interruption.

If your response to the above is “But I don’t know that!” you don’t have to worry. This is why you always want to rely on water heater professionals to handle the installation job. You can rely on our team to find the right unit of a tankless water heater in Gaithersburg, MD to match your household’s day-to-day use so you can enjoy the full benefits of this excellent appliance.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Contractor of Choice.

Corrosion and Your Water Heater: What You Need to Know

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The word corrosion is derived from the Latin word “to gnaw.” And that’s a pretty good description of what corrosion does to metal: it gnaws it away. Corrosion starts when water is in contact with metal in the presence of oxygen, and it’s one of the main enemies of parts of your plumbing system. Even corrosion-resistant copper pipes can suffer from specific types of corrosion.

But we’re here to talk about your water heater, a vital appliance in your home necessary for day-to-day living. Because a storage tank water heater has water in contact with metal, it sounds like a prime candidate for corrosion. Let’s take a look at how corrosion does and doesn’t affect your home’s water heater.

Your Water Heater Is Designed to Resist Corrosion

First, we have some good news. Water heater manufacturers design their products so they resist corrosion for many years. A water heater that starts to corrode right away wouldn’t be much use to anyone! Here are some of the ways a water heater keeps away rust:

  • The inside of the tank is lined with glass, keeping the water from coming into contact with the metal.
  • Air is kept out of the tank to help prevent the oxidization process. An expansion tank on top of the water tank helps ease pressure inside the tank without allowing contact with air.
  • A sacrificial anode rod that runs down through the tank attracts corrosion to it, essentially “sacrificing” itself to corrosion to save the rest of the system. The rod must be replaced when it corrodes completely through, which can be done during regular maintenance.

A Corroded Water Heater Usually Must Be Replaced

Now we come to the bad news. If a water heater starts to corrode, it often means the system needs to be replaced. There aren’t any repairs that can save a water heater tank when it develops corrosion on the inside or outside. If the corrosion is limited to the heat exchanger, burners, or other parts that can be replaced, sometimes the water heater can be repaired. But if corrosion starts in on a system that’s more than 15 years old, the corrosion is an indication the system is too aged and should be replaced no matter what.

Tankless Water Heaters Can Also Corrode

If you have a tankless water heater, you might think that the above information doesn’t apply to you. It’s true that tankless water heaters are less prone to corrosion than systems that use storage tanks. But a tankless water heater can suffer from corrosion if water starts to leak down onto the burners. Rust flakes on the burner can lead to a drop in system efficiency and will require professionals to repair it.

We’re Here to Help

This is the most important thing to know, and the best news of all: when you need any service for water heaters in Chevy Chase, MD, from a minor repair to installing a new tankless water heater, we’re the people for the job. We’ve built our company on honesty and integrity, and we’ll see that every job we do is done right!

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice throughout Silver Spring, MD & Montgomery County.

Repairs a Tank Water Heater May Need

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A water heater is an appliance you rely on daily, no matter the season. In fact, a water heater can account for 40% of all a home’s heating bills during the year. That’s means a great deal of work pressure placed on a single appliance.

Even though water heaters today are built to last for many years, the stress can cause systems to need repairs from time to time. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the more common repairs you may need for your water heater. Only rely on professional service for these jobs—especially if you have a natural gas-powered water heater. Our technicians are ready to help you with any water heater service you may require.

Note: All the repairs below are for storage tank water heaters, which are the most common type found in homes. We also repair and install tankless water heaters and heat pump water heaters. If you’re interested in having one of these installed, or you have one needing repairs, contact us to learn more.

Replacing a Broken Dip Tube

This repair is less common than it used to be because of improvements in the construction of dip tubes. But it still turns up, and it’s one of the reasons for a water heater apparently losing its normal volume of heated water. The dip tube is the tube carrying cold fresh water down through the tank of the water heater and depositing it at the bottom, where heat from the heat exchanger warms it up and causes it to rise to the top of the tank. If the dip tube breaks, it means cold water will be deposited at the top of the tank, leading to a drop in water temperature. Repairs involve replacing the whole tube.

Flushing the Tank

Over time, sediment starts to gather at the bottom of a water heater’s tank, and if it builds up enough it can lead to the water overheating or problems with limescale. Flushing the tank removes this problem. This is sometimes done as part of routine maintenance, but it can also be scheduled as a repair if the water heater encounters problems.

Fixing the Circulator Pump

A water heater contains few moving parts, but one of the critical mechanical parts is the circulator pump. This pump is responsible for pumping hot water from the tank and into the hot water lines. If the circulator pump breaks, there won’t be any hot water flowing. Technicians can either repair or replace the pump.

Repairs to the Expansion Tank

The expansion tank is a small air tank sitting above the main tank. The tank contains an air cushion inside it to relieve water pressure in the main tank without allowing oxygen to get in, which would promote corrosion. If the membrane of the air cushion in the expansion tank breaks, it can lead to a pressure spike in the water heater.

If you’re looking for service for your water heater in Bethesda, MD or the surrounding areas, our plumbers are experts at providing fast and accurate repairs. We’ve built our business on honesty and integrity.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Is It Time to Replace Your Water Heater?

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Water heaters perform a tremendous amount of work throughout the year. According to the Department of Energy, 18% of most home’s energy costs go to running the water heater. (A decade ago it was 25%, which shows how much water heater technology is improving at efficiency.) This stress on a water heater will eventually wear it down past the point of no return, where repairs can only patch the system up for a brief time and aren’t cost-effective. The better option is to replace the entire water heater.

How Can I Know My Water Heater Has Reached the End of the Line?

You obviously don’t want to rush into getting a new water heater if your current one still has a few good years of service left in it. If you have doubts about whether it’s time to replace your water heater, our professionals can assist you with making the choice. Below are a few indications that it’s time to give us a call to inspect your water heater.

  • Basic age: Tank water heaters last 10–15 years on average. If your water heater is over 15 years old, you should consider a replacement even if nothing seems currently wrong with the system.
  • Rising energy bills: With almost 20% of your utility bills going to the water heater, it will start to make a significant difference in costs when age wears it down. Putting in a new water heater will start saving you money right away.
  • Lower hot water volume: Are people in your home starting to go with lukewarm showers in the morning? Then water heater is starting to lose its heating power—and that usually means it’s coming to the end of its service life.
  • Corrosion: Water heaters are designed with defenses against corrosion. But corrosion will eventually set in, and when it does it almost always means the system needs to be replaced.

Changing Water Heater Type

If you decide that a water heater replacement in Potomac, MD is your best option, you have an opportunity to make a major change from a standard storage tank water heater. There are excellent alternatives to the conventional water heater that is now available that can provide you with improved energy efficiency and overall superior performance:

  • Tankless water heaters: Also known as “on-demand-type” water heaters, tankless water heaters are rising in popularity thanks to the many benefits they provide. Tankless systems heat water as it is needed (“on demand”) so there is a constant supply of hot water. They consume less energy because they don’t suffer the standby heat loss of a storage tank system. Although not ideal for all homes, a tankless water heater installation is definitely something to give serious thought.
  • Heat pump water heater: This is a variation on the storage tank water heater that uses the power of a heat pump to warm up the water. A heat pump draws thermal energy from the air around the water heater and then transfers it into the tank to heat up the water supply. This is a great alternative to using a standard electric water heater since it costs less to move heat from one place to another compared to generating it through electrical heating elements.

No matter what type of water heater you end up having installed, you can depend on our expert team to handle the service. Request an estimate with us today.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD and Montgomery County.

Times When a Tank Water Heater Is a Good Installation Choice

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We’re proud to offer a number of excellent alternate options when it comes to water heaters. The standard for most homes is a storage tank water heater, but now there’s the choice of a tankless water heater or a heat pump water heater. Both offer many benefits, such as cutting down on energy use and enjoying longer service lives.

In fact, when you look over all the benefits of these types of water heater, it might seem like there’s no reason to go with the conventional storage tank model. However… this isn’t exactly the truth.

No Two Homes have the Same Water Heater Needs

Deciding on the best water heater for a home isn’t something that should be done without careful consideration and the input of professionals. For example, although tankless and heat pump water heaters have the potential to save money through their energy-efficient performance, there isn’t a guarantee that they’ll save a home money over the long run. It depends on water use patterns. And because these two types of water heaters are more expensive to install, it’s possible they won’t pay back their costs compared to a less expensive tank water heater.

One area where a tank water heater has a special advantage is that it can take much more concentrated use compared to other systems. It’s easy for a tankless system to become overwhelmed, struggling to keep heating sufficient water when there are multiple taps on. If your household uses a large amount of hot water, it sometimes more advisable to go with a standard tank model.

Another thing to consider is the hot water plumbing. Changing to a new type of water heater may require re-piping to accommodate it. If you stay with a tank water heater, installing it is a much simpler job.

To make certain that you have the best possible water heater to meet your home’s needs, speak to our water heater specialists.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice in Potomac, MD.