Water Heater Corrosion Problems

You may have noticed that everything we re talking about above assumes you have a storage tank water heater.

Water heater corrosion problems. Rusty hot water is often a sign of corrosion of the anode rod or even tank itself. What causes corrosion low ph level of water acidic nature of water oxygen in water water chemistry high flow rate and increased turbulence poor plumbing practices electrochemical reasons dissimilarity of the metals that are connected. You can see the damage on aluminum rods which are commonly used in hard water areas by examining the anode and looking for the steel wire of the core. Yes tankless water heaters can corrode as well.

When minerals like calcium accumulate inside of a water heater they can cause electric heating elements to fail or cause heat to distribute unevenly. If your water comes out smelling like rotten eggs there could be bacteria in the hot water heater tank. Have professional help you with a new water heater right away. If your hot water is coming out with a rusty hue you may have corrosion in your hot water heater.

If there is rust on the water inlet valve or pressure relief valve on your. To determine if you have water heater corrosion look for these three primary warning signs. You might need to replace the anode rod in the tank. Replacing the anode rod is easy to do and can add years to your water heater.

A quick look will show if there is corrosion on the pipes connected to the top of your water heater. The anode rods are designed to draw corrosion away from the tank and into the rod itself. The water heater in your home is primarily made of metal and it stores and circulates water. Corrosion is a chemical reaction between water and metal in the presence of oxygen and the damage it causes to metal can quickly ruin many types of appliances as it weakens the metal until it starts to crumble away.

A brief inspection of your water heater pipes can reveal an obvious trouble sign and possibly a significant problem. Many water heaters develop leaks at the pipe connections on top. So why doesn t it start to rust. Sediment buildup sediment can build up within a water heater tank leading to corrosion reductions in energy efficiency and potential clogs in water lines.

It occurs less often there s simply less contact between water and metal but it can happen because of water dripping onto the gas burners. Don t wait for the tank to start leaking. If left untreated your water heater will most likely need replacing once the corrosion gets serious enough for the tank to develop a leak.