On Saturday we got a call in Carmel Valley, that a water heater was leaking all over the garage and the homeowner was in a panic. Within 1 hour we responded to the call and quickly shut off the water to the house. The cause of the leaking hot water heater:
1. Sediment built up
2. The water heater was never maintained
3. Old age
4. Poor water quality in Carmel Valley
As you can see in the pictures above, there was a lot of sediment that came out of the water heater and onto the garage floor. When our plumber tried to drain the water heater, he was not able to because the cheap plastic drain valve was clogged with sediment. The San Diego Plumber had to break off the plastic drain, and let the water come flying out of the water heater. Our experienced plumber contained the mess in a 2′ area.
Here are 4 things that we can learn from this Carmel Valley Leaking Water Heater:
Leaking Water Heater Carmel Valley
1. Sediment built up: We recommend flushing the water heater once per year to removed excess sediment built up. This sediment built up if not removed yearly, will sit at the bottom of the tank. The burner will then have to heat through a thick layer of sediment (Sometimes 3″-4″ thick). This obviously takes a lot more gas to heat the water and the result is a high gas bill
2. The San Diego water heater was never maintained: We recommend replacing the sacrificial anode rod in the 5th year of the water heaters life. The anode rod is a 3/4″ thick magnesium rod that attracts the impurities in the water. These impurities will eat up the rod first, then go to work on the tank. The homeowner had never changed at the anode rod
3. Old age: Believe it or not, the average age of a water heater is 8-10 years. Some last longer some last shorter. This water heater had made it a little past 10 years, but it is not uncommon for our plumbers in San Diego to remove leaking hot water heaters that are only 4-5 years old.
4. Poor water quality in Carmel Valley: Unfortunately not just Carmel Valley suffers from poor water quality. All of San Diego county does. We recommend a Flotech (anti-scaling device) as well as a whole house water filter. This will not only greatly lengthen the life of your water heater, but will prevent pin-hole leaks on your water lines, and extend the life of your toilets and faucets.
Give us a call at 619-838-1322 if you are having hot water heater problems in: Carlsbad, San Diego, Escondido and all of the greater San Diego region