Homeowner’s Guide to Water Heater Noises
Learn what common water heater noises mean and what to do about them.
Some amount of noise from your water heater is perfectly normal. But over time, you may begin to hear more sounds from your unit than just the rush of water in and out of the tank. When this happens, it can be a signal that your water heater is in need of maintenance. Here are three most common types of sounds you might hear:
- Popping or Banging: This type of noise results from the buildup of mineral scale on the bottom of your hot water heater. As heated water tries to make its way through this buildup, you get a bunch of miniature boiling explosions which may be heard as pops or bangs.
- Hissing: Electric water heaters may produce a hissing noise if mineral scale accumulates on the heating element.
- Scratching: When fresh water flows into a water heater tank, it produces turbulence and you may hear any sediment or mineral buildup getting stirred up inside the tank. Many people describe this as a scratching or whispering sound.
Noticing a theme here? Fortunately you can cure your noisy water heater—and a whole host of other problems related to mineral buildup—with a bit of water heater maintenance.
3 Steps to Correct & Prevent Water Heater Noises
Tank Flush: The first thing you need to do is drain the water heater tank completely to help remove mineral deposits and sediment. Check your owner’s manual—you’ll find that many manufacturers recommend flushing the tank every month. Depending on the hardness of your water and your usage patterns, you will probably not have to flush the tank this often. If you hire a professional from The Stanley Louis Company to perform your water heater flush we can advise you on this point.
Scale Removal: Flushing the tank will help remove sediment and minerals suspended in the water, but you may still be left with significant mineral buildup on the sides and bottom of the tank. To remove this layer of buildup, you need to manually scrape the inside of the tank or use a chemical scale remover. In most cases the chemical route is more practical and thorough. In the case of an electric water heater, your heating element may also need to be removed and descaled or replaced.
Prevent Future Buildup: In order to slow the rate at which scale accumulates in your water heater, you need to address two main variables: the amount of dissolved minerals entering the unit and the rate at which they precipitate out into scale. If you have hard water, you can easily reduce the amount of minerals that make it into your water heater by installing a water softener in your home. You can also slow the rate at which any remaining minerals accumulate inside your tank by lowering the temperature of your water heater. For example, by reducing the temperature from 160F to 120F, you can reduce lime build up from 6 pounds per year to less than 1 pound.
Need Hot Water Heater Help?
Whether you would like help with water heater maintenance tasks or are in need of a water heater repair or replacement, you can rely on the experts at The Stanley Louis Company to provide superior service. Call 800-217-6527 now to learn more.
