Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Hydronics’ Category

Common Tankless Water Heater Repairs

Friday, March 20th, 2015

Tankless water heaters have garnered quite a bit of popularity recently, mainly for their advantages over traditional storage tank water heaters. Compared to tank water heaters, tankless water heaters are more energy efficient and less likely to cause water damage to the surrounding area by rupturing. However, tankless water heaters are not immune to all problems. They still experience repair needs, of which you should be aware. Let’s take a look at the kinds of repairs tankless water heaters commonly need.

Gas or Electric Problems

Tankless water heaters rely on gas or electricity to heat the water they distribute. Even in gas water heaters, there are still electrical components. If your water heater seems to be having trouble starting, or distributing hot water, it is very often due to a problem with your gas or electrical supply. The specific repair is going to depend on the individual problem. If your gas pressure is too low, it may be because you have a blockage in the gas line or because your meter is maladjusted. If your electric tankless unit is malfunctioning, you could have a short or a burnout somewhere in the circuitry. Either way, you’ll want to contact a professional to have a look at your system.

Lime Scale

Lime scale is the result of hard water leaving mineral deposits on the inner walls of your pipes. In tankless water heaters, this tends to affect the heat exchanger more than anything else. Once the mineral deposits build to a certain point, they begin to restrict the flow of water through the heat exchanger. This can cause an increase in pressure and eventually rupture the pipe, though that is rare. Either way, you’ll want to have your tankless water heater inspected at least once a year to make sure that there isn’t lime scale building up inside it.

Most of the problems that tankless water heaters have to deal with are pretty tame, compared to other water heaters. However, that’s no reason to ignore them. If you suspect that your tankless water heater has a problem, call Sound Heating right away. We service tankless water heaters throughout Bellevue.

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