Water Heater Installation and Repair

A water heater repair, or water leak can be an emergency situation. Not always is no hot water just a cold shower, often times it is accompanied by a lot of water on the floor of your basement, or in worst case possibly even a flood. When a water heater tank fails, water can spray out of the top or leak out of the bottom of the tank, causing the pilot light to go out, resulting in a cold shower. If water is coming out of the tank, the first thing that you want to do is shut the water off at the service valve to stop the water. Next you will want to shut off the gas to the unit (if it is gas fired) and/or shut off the power switch to the unit.

Anytime Horizon is in a home performing service work we take the time to identify these emergency shut offs, and attach “Safety Tags”to them, so in case of these situations, you are not left guessing if this is the right valve, gas shutoff, or power switch, etc. Horizon Services is a full service oriented company that works all over Denver, and we are structured to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Holidays included, because we understand that water leaks, and problems with water heaters do not only happen between 9 and 5 on weekdays, when the “other guys” are around to answer their phones. For the folks that are doing their best to plan ahead to prevent issues before they happen, keep in mind that water heater tanks usually last for between 12 to 15 years, before they rupture depending on water quality and other factors, such as water pressure, usage, etc. One thing to keep in mind is if your water heater was to fail, and leak, where would that water go? Would it go into a drain pan, and be funneled to a working floor drain? Or would it possibly do more damage and possibly cause damage to, or ruin a newly finished basement?

If you are starting to do research on your particular needs, and are looking for more information, give us a call – (720) 519-0953.

What are some signs that a hot water heater repair is necessary?

• No Hot Water
• Water on Floor around Tank
• Hot Water quickly runs out
• Rumbling Water Heater
• Water Leak on Top of Tank
• Calcification (crusty formations on water pipe connection on top of heater)
• Water coming out of the pipe attached to the side of the heater

No Hot Water

This is perhaps the most common complaint we hear from clients, they woke up this morning and there was very little or no hot water coming out of the water heater. There could be many different reasons that this has occurred, such as a very windy day might have extinguished the units’ pilot light, a gas utility interruption, or a mechanical fault could have occurred in the systems operating control.

Water on Floor around Tank

The second most common issue we hear about is my hot water tank is leaking, my floor is wet all around the unit, and how do I shut it off? The quick answer for this is above the water heater there is valve with either a round or a flat bar shaped handle, which is used to turn the water off to the tank. This will prevent more water and pressure from getting to the tank, but keep in mind that there is still the water stored in the tank which would still leak out, but turning off the valve will stop the worst part of the leak, such as any water spraying out of the heater.

Hot Water quickly runs out

This complaint is not as common an occurrence anymore, where the water coming out of the hot water heater starts out hot, and very quickly gets cold, but it does still happen. This is an indication there is an internal fault with the tube inside the water heater that is attached to the cold water inlet, if this occurs it is a good sign that the heater has reached the limit of its service life and replacement should be considered.

Rumbling Water Heater

A water heater that is noisy while it operates (we describe as a rumbling or grumbling sound) is a side effect of scale and mineral deposits at the bottom of the heaters water tank. This is a sign that the water heater is nearing the end of its service life, and there is no cost effective cure for this situation. In some cases flushing out the tank (a service item) could be performed, but usually this sediment in a rocklike solid form that cannot be flushed out of the tank.

Water Leak on Top of Tank

There are a couple of different reasons why there could be a water leak on the top of the tank, and not always are these a catastrophic event (where a rupture has occurred in the tank itself). There are water pipes, a shutoff valve and sometimes water connections such as for a Whole house humidifier or water supply for a refrigerators ice cube and drinking water dispenser, all could be located directly above the hot water tank, which would require further investigation, as any of these items could be the culprit.

Calcification (crusty formations on water pipe connection on top of heater)

We see this side effect from a very slow water leak (usually on a mechanical or threaded water pipe connection) at the top of the heater and in most cases when the issue is addressed the formation has grown to the size of a baseball or tennis ball.

Water coming out of the pipe attached to the side of the heater

The pipe on the side of the water heater is attached to a safety relief valve, and it is not uncommon for this to occasionally leak water out of the pipe, however it should not continually run water out of it. If there is not stop dripping or leaking out of this pipe, it is an indication of a couple different potential issues, that would have to be investigated further.

Does my water heater need to be flushed out?

This is a fairly easy service task to be performed and is certainly something that will help extend the useful life of a hot water heater. However, this should be done routinely, as you do not get the benefit you’re looking for if not done on say an annual basis. Also many manufacturers have made improvements to water heater designs, making it harder for these minerals to settle on the bottom of the tank in the first place, which is called a “self cleaning” feature.

Same Day Service – Regular Rates 7 Days a Week, 7AM to 7PM – 24hr Emergency Service

Installation, Replacement & Service of All Makes and Models of Water Heaters

• Conventional Tank Storage Water Heaters
• Demand Tankless Water Heaters
• Heat Pump Water Heaters
• Gas or Electric Fuel Type

You have a lot to consider when purchasing a new water heater and there are many options available for the consumer today. Most importantly, you must consider what are your needs and expectations for your new water heater. Are you looking for something that is more energy efficient than your old water heater? Or has the family grown and you need a larger supply of hot water? Whatever your needs may be Horizon can provide you with a solution and the peace of mind to know that you will be taken care of.

Choices for Water Heater Replacements

As consumers ourselves, we understand that there are a lot of choices available to a Homeowner these days when it comes to producing hot water for your home. As a service provider we have decided to offer our clients Bradford White hot water heaters for several reasons.

First of all their products are “Made in the USA”; they are also only available to the professional contractor – which means that we have the ability to fully support (locally) our clients as service is required, rather than having to deal with a third party when it comes to warranty inquiries, parts and technical support. This allows us to provide our clients with timely service, and prevent unwanted downtime when it comes to one of the most used appliances in a home.

Our professional plumbers also service gas and electric hot water heaters, such as Rheem, as well as many others. Tankless water heaters, sometimes referred to as Endless hot water heaters are also a type of heater that we service.

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