The Water Heater That Gave Up
This week, Jamie shares water heater problems that can cause major inconvenience and costly damage if left unchecked.
He breaks down the common causes, from sediment buildup and corrosion to poor maintenance habits. You’ll also learn the early warning signs to watch for, including inconsistent water temperatures and strange noises from your unit. Whether you’re a homeowner, real estate agent, or investor, Jamie has tips to help you stay proactive, protect your property, and avoid unexpected water heater disasters.
Episode Highlights
- Most water heaters last about 8–12 years, which isn’t very long.
- Sediment buildup can cause overheating and tank failure, so regular maintenance matters.
- Warning signs include rusty water, strange noises, and small leaks.
- Proper installation and upkeep help prevent major damage and expensive repairs.
Transcript
Welcome to Thoughts from the Crawl Space, a podcast where our goal as home inspection experts is to support and serve our community.
Speaker A:Whether you're a homeowner, home buyer, real estate agent, or investor, we believe everyone deserves solutions to their homeownership challenges and inspiration along the way.
Speaker A:Your path to success starts here.
Speaker A:Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of Thoughts from the Crawl Space.
Speaker A:We are continuing today with a series on potential disasters in your home.
Speaker A:Nobody wants to think about that, but you know what, it's a fact of life when you deal with mechanical items in your home, you can have disasters.
Speaker A:And so today we're going to talk about, I guess a good title would be when the Water Heater Finally Gave Up.
Speaker A:Perhaps you've experienced this, perhaps you've had a story you could share with the water heater that gave up slowly or all at once.
Speaker A:So we're going to talk about some things that cause that and some things you can do to help prevent that, or some warning signs that it might be about to get to that point.
Speaker A:So, you know, the things like this, a water heater probably is going to go out at the worst possible time, could be Monday morning, you could have guests over and they start out with a beautiful warm shower and they end up with an Arctic blast.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Now, in reality, that's probably not going to happen.
Speaker A:You're not going to lose all that hot water immediately, but it is going to run out eventually.
Speaker A:So if you are lucky and your water heater goes out slowly, you might have a chance to catch it and avoid a disaster.
Speaker A:But if it goes out all at once, it could be a split in the tank or whatnot.
Speaker A:We'll get to that in a minute.
Speaker A:You have a bigger mess.
Speaker A:And so today I want to try to help you not have that big mess.
Speaker A:So why water Heaters give up so some of the root causes.
Speaker A:First of all, the average age for a water heater that we refer to when we're doing a home inspection is, is 8 to 12 years.
Speaker A:That seems incredibly short.
Speaker A:And older water heaters, it's true, they lasted longer.
Speaker A:You had the glass lined units that we'll see that are 40, 50, 60 years old, we've even seen them before.
Speaker A:But the fact is the modern units just simply don't last as long.
Speaker A:Now, if you have corrosion corrosive water to go along with that, depending on the kind of well you have or whatnot, the chance of that water heater going out quickly and so to speak in the amount of years is very great.
Speaker A:So, for example, one thing that causes water heaters to fail is sediment buildup.
Speaker A:This is where minerals settle at the bottom and cause overheating, inefficiency, and tank failure.
Speaker A:Sediment comes from the water, and so it flows into your tank from either the city or the well.
Speaker A:You're going to have a much bigger chance of this coming from well water.
Speaker A:Well, water can be very rusty.
Speaker A:It can have.
Speaker A:It's going to have a lot more minerals in it, and it's going to cause more corrosion with your water heater.
Speaker A:So keep an eye out for sediment buildup.
Speaker A:We'll explain that on tips for catching these things early in a little bit.
Speaker A:A corroded tank or a failed anode rod.
Speaker A:Without a working anode rod, the tank rusts from the inside out.
Speaker A:So in case you didn't know you had this, you have what's called a sacrificial anode in the water heater.
Speaker A:And this is simply a metal rod that goes down from the top through the tank that is supposed to attract the particulates and the minerals and the rust, and it will disintegrate.
Speaker A:That instead of your water heater tank.
Speaker A:Now, if your anode rod is really old or disintegrated now, the sediment is going to turn its attention to the sides of the tank.
Speaker A:So that's one issue that can affect it as well.
Speaker A:High water pressure.
Speaker A:High water pressure puts extra stress on tanks and fittings.
Speaker A:It's recommended in city.
Speaker A:Most municipalities don't have water pressure over 80 and more likely 70.
Speaker A:You might have a little less if it's a well and you have a little more control over it, possibly at that point.
Speaker A:But high temperature, high water pressure can affect the longevity of a water heater and the fittings around it.
Speaker A:So another thing that can go bad on a water heater is faulty temperature and pressure relief valve.
Speaker A:Now, it's referred to as the TNP valve.
Speaker A:This is on the side of the tank or on the top.
Speaker A:This is an area where you have the valve, and you should have a pipe on it that either go straight down and stop 6 inches from the floor or elbows over to the side and then down and stop 6 inches from the floor.
Speaker A:And what this essentially is, is so your water heater doesn't blow up.
Speaker A:This is a temperature and pressure release valve.
Speaker A:That's how you get the tnp.
Speaker A:And that will.
Speaker A:If your water heater overheats, over pressurizes, the excess pressure will be blown out.
Speaker A:This valve, it has a little lever on it that allows that to open.
Speaker A:And that's a safety feature for a water heater so that you don't have an explosion.
Speaker A:So that can go bad.
Speaker A:It can clog up.
Speaker A:We've seen people cap those valves, which is a major.
Speaker A:No, no.
Speaker A:And can be a dangerous situation if not functioning so.
Speaker A:And then just poor installation or lack of maintenance.
Speaker A:You know, when we see water heaters, we can almost instantly tell if the water heater has been installed professionally.
Speaker A:You can have venting that's done poorly.
Speaker A:Maybe it slopes down instead of up.
Speaker A:You can see draft hoods that are offset.
Speaker A:You can see melted rings around the water supply lines going in and out, which indicates we're getting back drafting.
Speaker A:We can have a gas line without a sediment trap in it, which indicates substandard installation.
Speaker A:On and on and on.
Speaker A:There's probably a list of nine or ten things that we would potentially write up on a home inspection regarding water heaters.
Speaker A:So if we see a water heater that's installed unsafely and we're going to just assume there's other problems associated with it as well.
Speaker A:So here are some signs the water heater was warning you.
Speaker A:Have you ever had those hints that maybe your husband or wife has given you?
Speaker A:They're pretty persistent about the hints.
Speaker A:Maybe it's something they'd like.
Speaker A:Maybe it's someplace they'd like to go.
Speaker A:Maybe it's something they'd like you to do around the house.
Speaker A:Whatever.
Speaker A:You know those hints.
Speaker A:And if you put it off and you put it off and you put it off, it's probably going to come out more than a hint.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It might come out in anger or loudly.
Speaker A:The water heater is also warning you and you need to pay attention to it.
Speaker A:So here's some red flags that homeowners often ignore.
Speaker A:The water is not as hot or it runs out quickly.
Speaker A:You all know exactly where that shower handle should go to have the right temperature for your shower.
Speaker A:So if you turn it to there or it's permanently fixed there and now the water heater is not producing water as hotly as it used to.
Speaker A:That's a sign you could have a problem.
Speaker A:Rumbling, popping or crackling noises.
Speaker A:Run your hot water for a while and then go listen to the water heater.
Speaker A:You can probably listen 10, 15ft away.
Speaker A:You don't have to be right next to it, but you hear popping in it.
Speaker A:Rumbling and popping is sediment that's creating an air bubble that rises to the top and then pops as it gets to the top of the water level.
Speaker A:And that just indicates you got a lot of sediment in there and that Needs to be drained out.
Speaker A:Rust colored water.
Speaker A:We have these come up on inspections all the time.
Speaker A:We'll go fill the sink and.
Speaker A:Well, that's brown water.
Speaker A:What's going on?
Speaker A:Well, we got something probably disintegrating from inside the water heater tank and that's a problem.
Speaker A:Metal smell or a metallic paste.
Speaker A:And this can occur especially if your anode rod is reacting with well water.
Speaker A:You get a funky smell and it's just not a good situation for your water heater.
Speaker A:Tiny leaks around the base.
Speaker A:If you go around your water heater and I'm not talking about the temperature release valve pipe, you may get a drip or two out of there now and then, but if it's in other areas, you got something going on there and you don't want to ignore that.
Speaker A:So look for any signs of small leaks around the water heater, moisture or corrosion around fittings.
Speaker A:We talked earlier about high pressure.
Speaker A:Well, if you have a fitting that's seeping or leaking occasionally it's rusting from the inside out and you're getting excessive pressure and you don't want to let that go without getting that fixed.
Speaker A:And then higher utility bills without explanation.
Speaker A:If your bill all of a sudden jumps significantly 10, 20% and you haven't had any changes in use, we got something going on there that we need to investigate.
Speaker A:Now the first one I mentioned, water isn't as hot or runs out quickly, the rumbling or popping.
Speaker A:And the last one could all be related to the same thing.
Speaker A:When you get sediment buildup in your water heater.
Speaker A:Now that sediment is absorbing some of that heat because the sediment settles at the bottom, the burner is underneath that.
Speaker A:And so it has to heat up that sediment, sediment first and then it gets to the water.
Speaker A:And so you're losing water or you're losing heat into the sediment, which does you no good with the water.
Speaker A:And so we've seen water heaters before that have been taken out by plumbers and they get, you know, just for information sake, they take it apart, split it open and we got a foot, foot and a half of sediment build up in there, which is just crazy.
Speaker A:That water heater had no chance at that point.
Speaker A:The other thing that that sediment does is it corrodes the tank and so it can rust it from the inside out.
Speaker A:That's why we talked at the open of how you could have a split in your water heater tank that is just going to go all at once.
Speaker A:Maybe you don't even have a warning and you can have a major mess so what we typically see in some of these situations is significant sediment buildup, an anode rod that's gone.
Speaker A:Literally, it can be disintegrated.
Speaker A:Venting issues that'd be obviously just for gas units and an incorrect drain pan or no drain pan.
Speaker A:So a drain pan is a safety.
Speaker A:Basically, it's a big.
Speaker A:It's a round pan, slightly bigger than the size of your water heater.
Speaker A:It's usually about three inches deep, and there's a drain going off of that pan.
Speaker A:So if your water heater leaks, it'll accumulate in that pan and it'll.
Speaker A:Until it builds up above the outlet, which is a drain that should go to a suitable location.
Speaker A:In other words, your water heater can go bad on you.
Speaker A:It can leak like crazy, and it never really affects you other than the fact you got to buy a new water heater.
Speaker A:But it won't flood your house because you have a drain pan.
Speaker A:You have a drain off of that, and that will save you from damaging the house.
Speaker A:So another thing that we see is a leaking pressure relief valve.
Speaker A:If we run a significant amount of water in a home, sometimes it's not uncommon for the temperature pressure release valve to drip a little bit.
Speaker A:But if we have a lot of it, if it's running, if you have a bucket under it and the bucket's full, we got a problem with it.
Speaker A:It's not shutting off.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Or we have other issues with it.
Speaker A:Other problems, improper electrical or gas connections, water damage to surrounding floors or walls, mold or mildew in the utility area.
Speaker A:And all those things can be signs of a problem.
Speaker A:And so you can look for these.
Speaker A:You can call us to look for these as well.
Speaker A:So here's some hidden risks when a water heater fails.
Speaker A:There are occasions we'll find water heaters in the attic.
Speaker A:Well, that's obviously not a great place for a water heater.
Speaker A:Number one, it's cold up there.
Speaker A:So even if it's insulated, if it does start leaking, all the water is going to go into the house unless it has a drain pan.
Speaker A:And even then, you're relying on a little drain to protect your whole house.
Speaker A:So a tank can release 30 to 80 gallons quickly.
Speaker A:So the other thing to think about when you're.
Speaker A:If the tank splits, it's not just the water that's in the tank.
Speaker A:The water is still coming into the tank from either the city supply or I will.
Speaker A:So it's going to keep running.
Speaker A:And that split or that explosion in the tank is just enough to start the water and if you're not home, it could happen.
Speaker A:I mean it could keep going and going and going and going.
Speaker A:So in the utility closet or in the basement, if you have your water heater in there, mold growth that can indicate poor venting.
Speaker A:We're getting excessive humidity, we're getting backdrafting where we don't have right ventilation in that room.
Speaker A:Gas leaks.
Speaker A:Obviously if you have a gas leak, it's turn the gas off and call the power company and get out of the house.
Speaker A:Scalding from malfunctioning thermostats.
Speaker A:We've had water heaters where we run the water and it comes out at 180 degrees, which is crazy.
Speaker A:That would scald a two or three year old instantly.
Speaker A:And so you want to make sure your thermostat's working, make sure you're getting the right temperature out of the water heater and then pressure related tank bursts.
Speaker A:Rare but dangerous.
Speaker A:And this is why the T and P valve matters.
Speaker A:So if you don't have the TNP valve functioning properly, if it's capped off, you're going to end up with a potential burst water heater and that leads to disaster.
Speaker A:So we don't want Servpro or companies like that having to show up to our house over a water heater.
Speaker A:So how do you know if it needs replaced or repaired?
Speaker A:So here's some tips, here's some repair worthy situations.
Speaker A:In other words, you would save in the long run just by doing some repairs right now.
Speaker A:Minor valve leaks, a valve above it, the temperature release valve, even the drain valve at the bottom, those can all be replaced.
Speaker A:So that would be a repairable item.
Speaker A:A thermostat can be replaced, especially in electric water heaters.
Speaker A:You're going to have two thermostats, heating elements, one near the top and one near the bottom.
Speaker A:And those can be replaced without replacing the water heater.
Speaker A:And that would be another repair worthy situation.
Speaker A:So we recommend replacement when the unit is 8 to 12 years old or plus the tank is leaking.
Speaker A:There's rust in the water.
Speaker A:Rust in the water means you're rusting the inside of the tank and it's just a matter of time.
Speaker A:You want to sleep in peace at night and not wondering if that's going to happen.
Speaker A:Severe sediment buildup or safety valves that are failing.
Speaker A:If your temperature pressure release valve continues to drip or run, you could try replacing it.
Speaker A:If that doesn't solve it well, then you have a bigger issue and you should just replace the tank.
Speaker A:Another if the efficiency in the water heater has dropped Dramatically, probably time to replace it.
Speaker A:So here's how to prevent the next water heater meltdown.
Speaker A:Number one, annual flushing of the tank.
Speaker A:We mentioned this to clients.
Speaker A:We have a video on our website that addresses this.
Speaker A:If you flush the tank, you're going to be turning off the inlet.
Speaker A:So the cold water shutoff valve, turn that off.
Speaker A:Open the drain valve.
Speaker A:Obviously you're going to want to run it toward a sump pump or outside with a hose and flush the tank.
Speaker A:Could be 30, 40, 80 gallons.
Speaker A:But since you've shut the shutoff valve coming in, no more water will come in and you can just flush what's there.
Speaker A:Check the anode rod every two to three years.
Speaker A:This may be something you need to hire an H Vac or a plumber for to come.
Speaker A:Unscrew that and take it out and take a look at it.
Speaker A:If it's worn down, you'll need to replace it.
Speaker A:Test the temperature and pressure relief valve annually.
Speaker A:And there's a little.
Speaker A:You'll see a little lever on the side of it or the top of it.
Speaker A:You just need to lift that up, see if water shoots out.
Speaker A:Put it back down now.
Speaker A:Fair warning, sometimes it won't reseal very well and you're going to have some leaking going on.
Speaker A:That's why home inspectors, at least in Indiana, don't activate that if we don't have to.
Speaker A:I know some states require that be activated.
Speaker A:Indiana does not.
Speaker A:And we are not going to in that case, because it could continue to leak and cause damage.
Speaker A:So install a drain pan with proper drainage.
Speaker A:We explained a drain pan earlier.
Speaker A:It's a circular pan.
Speaker A:So if you do have one of these things happen, it's not going to destroy your house or part of your house.
Speaker A:Ensure proper venting for gas units.
Speaker A:This is something you can probably only know by calling a professional out to take a look at the signs of poor venting.
Speaker A:You can have the melted plastic rings if you have that.
Speaker A:If you have an older model, it could be scorch marks on the little pipe nipples going up to the hot and the cold.
Speaker A:You could have a lot of sediment setting on the top of the water heater.
Speaker A:All those things can indicate we have improper venting.
Speaker A:Keep the area around it dry and clear.
Speaker A:Don't put clutter, chemicals or combustibles there.
Speaker A:And then monitor the water pressure.
Speaker A:You can get a cheap little water pressure checker online.
Speaker A:Put it on an outside faucet.
Speaker A:Turn that on, just see what your pressure's at.
Speaker A:If it's extremely high, maybe you call the town or a plumber about that and see what can be done about it.
Speaker A:So the moral of this story with water heaters is you do have some control here.
Speaker A:We all like to just take things for granted.
Speaker A:We all like to think I'm getting hot water.
Speaker A:We're good, right?
Speaker A:Well, maybe.
Speaker A:But a little diligence, a little self inspection, call a professional, call Gold Key out.
Speaker A:We'd love to come give some advice on the water heater.
Speaker A:We want it to be safe for you.
Speaker A:We want you to have user free worry and free of worry from the user.
Speaker A:Didn't say that very well, but it's, it's going to give you peace of mind.
Speaker A:And water heaters rarely die suddenly.
Speaker A:There's usually signs and so even if your water heater is 4 years old or 10 years old, take a look at it.
Speaker A:Use some of these safety tips and let us know if we can help.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening.
Speaker A:This week you can catch up on the latest episode of the Thoughts from the Crawl Space podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Speaker A:For more information about Gold Key inspection services, go to goldkeyinspect.com.
