One of the most common problems your water heater will ever face is often one of the most misunderstood issues–scaling. Scaling happens due to hard water. Hard water is water with excessive minerals in it–namely calcium, magnesium, and iron. The minerals build up and form deposits that stick to the inside of your pipes and plumbing fixtures. Scaling can go unnoticed for a while, but eventually can and will have a big effect on your water heater–whether it’s a traditional tank model or a tankless water heater.
Read on to learn more about the problem of scaling. When you need your water heater flushed to eliminate this problem, then it’s time to schedule maintenance, which you can call our team for!
“Does My Water Heater Have a Scaling Problem?”
Usually, homeowners don’t notice anything is wrong with their water heater until they begin to hear the sound that’s created by scaling, or deposit buildup. You might hear a banging, a popping sound, or a crackling noise.
The general impact is the same though. It’s a bit jarring the first time you hear it!
Strange sounds coming from a water heater can be a bit panic-inducing, especially if you have a gas-powered water heater. But most of the time it’s not an emergency–the sound you are very likely hearing is the mineral deposits we mentioned above settling on the bottom of the water heater tank (or inside the heat exchanger cabinet, in the case of a tankless system). The mineral deposits get shuffled around as the burners ignite to heat your water, which causes steam bubbles.
Call us for Professional Water Heater Services
Even though there isn’t a clear and present danger with scaling, it still impacts your water heater in a big way, and should not be left ignored. The long-term effect of scaling can be costly and problematic, and could end up becoming dangerous.
This is because scaling creates an imbalance of water pressure in the water heater, which can lead to overflow, cause your system to shut down, and can wear down the bottom of the tank so that the lining doesn’t protect against corrosion anymore.
No, Your Tankless System Isn’t Immune
As we stated above, tankless systems can be affected by scaling too. Any type of water heater or boiler system can succumb to scaling, as it coats the coils and pipes, keeping the system from properly heating up your water. Tankless water heater systems can develop scaling that slowly eats away at the heating elements, which keeps them from heating the water as they should.
Call Us for a Water Heater Flush
A water heater “flush” is a service our professionals provide to rid your system of scaling. This is done during your water heater maintenance, which is why it’s so important that you schedule this service regularly–once a year!
To schedule maintenance or for a new water heater installation near Swanton, look no further than AW Heating & Cooling for the job. Contact us today!