Water heaters work quietly behind the scenes. Providing hot water throughout your home, the water heater is constantly working to deliver results. As you can imagine, a water heater that works constantly can develop problems over time. But what could go wrong with your water heater? What should you expect from its operation and any problems that might creep up? Let's take a look.

Gas or Electric

First, it's important to know what type of water heater you have. They come in the tank or tankless units. But you'll also want to know if it is gas or electric. Electric water heaters use different types of heating elements to heat the water, turning it on and off. Diffen.com mentions, "A gas water heater uses the heat from burning a fuel (usually natural gas) to heat water, while an electric water heater uses electric resistance coils. Gas water heaters are less energy efficient than electric heaters, but the cost of the electricity itself makes the running costs of an electric heater higher."

Heating Elements

One of the most common problems found on a tank water heater is the heating elements. Most water heaters have two, one at the top and one at the bottom. One will heat the water as It enters the tank, and the other will heat it throughout the day to maintain the temperature. If either one of these becomes damaged, it could prevent your hot water from maintaining its temperature. You may notice that your water is hotter, colder, or has no hot water at all due to a faulty heating element.

Thermostat

The thermostat will tell the water heater what temperature to keep the water. This is a very basic operation, but you may be surprised to learn how often it fails. Thermostats can have electrical problems, not be energy efficient, or simply need to be replaced. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends that your water heater have a setting of 120° F for the best balance possible.

Faulty T & P Valve