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Hot Water Heater – How does it work?

hot water heater


Many people know they have a hot water heater but do not really think about it unless it stops working. It could be that one cold February morning when you wake up late for work and hop in the shower, only to realize that the hot water is not working! It could be having a sink full of dirty dishes with no other option but to clean them, and turning on the water for several minutes before you realize it’s just not getting hot. Taking an icy cold shower or washing your dishes in icy cold water can truly make one appreciate a hot water heater. In most cases, it is not appreciated at all until it stops working.

On the top of every hot water heater there are two different sets of pipes. One set are the supply pipes and the other set are the delivery pipes. Just as you may guess, the supple pipes supply your tank with all of the cold water it needs to work. The delivery pipes take the newly heated water from the top of the tank and deliver it through to the source in which you require hot water. There is a drain cock at the bottom of every water heater that allows you to drain the tank. There is also a valve on the supply pipe that allows the homeowner to turn off the hot water while still having full usage of the cold water in your home.

Why is my hot water heater leaking from the bottom?

To most, the extent of our knowledge of a hot water heater stops at ‘it heats my water’. A standard hot water heater holds 40 to 60 gallons of water and will store the hot water in the tank until it is ready for use. Most work with fuel and have an exhaust system or a “vent pipe” to carry out any gas smells around your home. Many tanks are steel but are lined with glass on the inside. This is to help prevent corrosion although it is not a miracle lining and eventually rust may occur. To further prevent corrosion, a magnesium anode rod is put in to corrode instead of the steel on the tank corroding. Because this rod is made to corrode, it should be checked annually and promptly replaced if necessary. This preventative maintenance will help you add on more years to the life of your hot water heater. Corrosion is the number one reason that hot water heaters must be replaced. A handy man may give you a few temporary fixes to help stop leaking, however, there is no permanent fix to this problem as the water heater must be replaced.

Why is my hot water heater leaking from the top?

Your standard hot water heater has a temperature and pressure valve on top of it to relief pressure in case it gets too hot or the pressure gets too high. The valve has a lever on it that you can lift up and relief the pressure yourself. Because the valve is spring loaded, it can cause a leak if a particle has worked its way in to the spring and caused the valve to open. If the pipe or valve is where your hot water tank is leaking, it can be repaired! If the tank itself is leaking, I’m afraid it may have to be replaced.
So, repair or replace my hot water heater?

*In short, if your hot water heater is leaking from a pipe, valve, or plumbing; it can most likely be repaired. If the tank itself it leaking, it’s time to be safe and replace it.

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Location: Brookfield, IL, USA

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