Do you realize every home has a piece of equipment used daily, and if not properly maintained, it could become a bomb?
Unfortunately, at SERVCO, we see situations where the economy has forced people to pick and choose which household needs take priority and occasionally someone takes it too far. Everyone is trying to make funds stretch a little longer, but there are some things that just shouldn’t wait.
For example, if your water heater leaks, fix it immediately! One customer had a water heater with a slow minor leak at the top of the tank. They knew it should be replaced, but for the time being, they used a towel to absorb the extra water. By the time they called for a replacement, the water heater was “super-heating” meaning that the temperature was high enough to cause the T&P valve to release. When our plumber arrived, he realized the danger and shut off the power and evacuated the residents from the house. This customer had no idea they were moments away from a potential disaster. Upon inspection, he found the water heater leak from the top was inside the insulation and outside the tank. The leak soaked the insulation around the thermostats and caused one of them to short out so it would no longer shut off. Fortunately correct installation and properly functioning safety valves had allowed the pressure to be released before the water heater exploded.
Another example occurred when recent water main maintenance created a significant amount of sediment in one neighborhood and everyone had been told to run the water until it ran clean. However, water heater design lets sediment pool in the bottom, and this older water heater had so much sediment that the bottom thermostat was completely covered. This prevented the temperature sensor from correctly sensing the real water temperature. The sensor continued to send heat signals even though the water was well above safe temperatures. When the customer called with water too hot, we advised her to shut off the water heater and we had a plumber out within the hour. Our plumber was able to simply resolve the problem with a water heater maintenance in which we drain the tank, flush out the sediment, check the thermostats and the safety valve and then refill the tank and turn it back on.
If you have a water heater that leaks, do not wait! Move it to the top of your priority list and get it fixed! If you don’t have a plumber in the family, call SERVCO. Spend your money wisely; use a licensed, bonded contractor. If you have any doubts about the damage a “super-heating” water heater can do, check out the Mythbusters exploding water heater video on youtube.com or the Discovery channel. This myth was Confirmed.
