Your water heater is probably the most underrated appliance in your home. Think about it—you use it every day, but do you really think about it every day? Chances are, the answer to that is no. That is, no, until something goes wrong with it.
The fact of the matter is, no water heater lasts forever. But the good news is, if yours is getting ready to fail, upgrading to a new, higher efficiency model is only going to benefit you! Today’s water heaters are much more efficient than those of even 5-10 years ago, which means that when you replace yours, you’ll start saving energy and subsequently start saving money each month.
But, how do you know it’s actually time to replace this system? Many homeowners, after all, wait until it’s too late to upgrade theirs—meaning their water heater completely breaks down and they’re left without hot water for days. This doesn’t have to be your story! Read on as we uncover the signs that it’s time for you to make the upgrade.
These days, with homeowners spending a lot more time in their living spaces than ever before, it’s easy to understand why home comfort has become a bit of a buzzword. Home comfort means a lot of things—having the right HVAC systems in place, addressing any indoor air quality issues you might have, and maintaining your plumbing system. A big part of that plumbing system? Your water heater!
If there is any appliance that homeowners take for granted, we’d safely bet that it’s the water heater. You know, until something goes wrong with it! Water heaters are the most often used appliance in any given home, and when something goes wrong with it you’re typically faced with costly repairs or replacement.
Water heaters look like sturdy devices. They should be: they’re essential parts of any home and must work almost every day of the year. As long as the water heater serving your household was professionally installed and receives routine maintenance each year, it should last more than a decade and possibly two.

Water heaters are one of those things that many homeowners take for granted, even though it’s something that’s used every single day—could you imagine showering without hot water?
In the best-case scenario, a “plumbing problem” will mean that you have a drippy faucet or a pinhole leak that you may be able to, at least temporarily, fix on your own. Or perhaps you have a superficial clog in a drain that won’t take anything more than a plunger and some good ol’ fashioned “elbow grease” to relieve. In a worst-case scenario though, your plumbing problem will mean that you need repiping.
It’s pretty much inevitable that at some point, you will encounter a clogged drain in your home. What’s your first instinct when this happens? If you’re like many homeowners, it’s likely to reach for a bottle of store-bought chemical drain cleaner.
Chances are, you are familiar with the traditional water heater setup—storage tank water heaters are very noticeable, and often even a little noisy. This conventional water heater is found in most homes throughout the country, so many people realize that a tank water heater may need attention from time to time, in the form of system maintenance.