Haunting Water Heater Sounds To Know
Every house makes some level of noise. The floors or the stairs might squeak a bit when walking on them. The air conditioning unit or heater might make a little noise when it first kicks on. It's pretty rare for a home to be completely quiet.
However, there's a difference between the normal noises of a home and noises that signal something is wrong. Paying attention to the various sounds in a home and recognizing what seems out of place is important to keeping systems and appliances running as they should.
Popping Sounds
Water heaters are an essential piece of comfort in the home, so it can be a real inconvenience when water heaters malfunction. One of the biggest signs of water heater problems is unusual sounds like popping noises. These popping noises are typically caused by excess mineral or sediment buildup in the tank. As the water begins to heat up, these minerals can pop, leading to very loud noises.
This issue can be resolved fairly quickly by cleaning the tank and eliminating the excess mineral and sediment buildup. Regularly cleaning the tank can help prevent this problem from happening again in the future.
Screeching Sounds
Screeching noises are another sound that water heaters can make to signal a problem. This type of noise is usually a result of water flow restriction. When this happens, homeowners will often find that there may be a valve that is not completely opened. Thanks to this, water flows through a smaller hole, which leads to a loud hissing or screeching sound from the restricted movement.
This problem has a fairly simple fix. The valves should be inspected throughout the waterline to identify which ones are not opened completely. Once they are identified, they can be opened back up to eliminate this unusual noise.
Crackling Sounds
This type of noise typically occurs in gas-powered water heaters and is a result of condensation. When condensation builds up on the burner inside the water heater, it can result in a crackling sound. Though the sound isn't a pleasant one to hear, it shouldn't be a huge concern as it doesn't present any immediate danger to the home or those living there. However, if the problem continues, homeowners may want to call a professional to handle the situation and stop the unnerving noise.
If homeowners notice a crackling noise but don't have a gas-powered water heater, it's likely the same mineral or sediment buildup problem that causes loud popping noises. In this case, it's likely best to call a professional to make sure that problem is correctly identified.
Homeowners always need to keep their eyes and ears open for weird things happening around the home. Strange sounds like these are the house's way of communicating and saying that something isn't right and needs fixing.
About All Purpose Plumbing
At All Purpose Plumbing, they strive for happy repeat customers by offering friendly home service with the best-trained plumbers, personnel, and guarantees in the business. They offer a free inspection on every service call so customers can know what condition their plumbing system is in before starting major work. Contact them for reliable Tacoma, WA water heater repair service.
